Power Rangers: Countdown
by project314
Summary: The Countdown to Destruction is here. Zordon's Rangers were targeted by Astronema. One's in a coma, three have been captured, one's missing. Can things get worse? Of course. This Countdown affects it all, from MMPR to PRJF. Trailer after prologue...
1. Prologue

_**Power Rangers: Countdown**_

_**Prologue**_

___(Original Posting Date: March 1st, 2008)_

* * *

A number of years ago, planet Earth was nearly destroyed. Actually, it's almost been destroyed quite a few times, usually cutting it pretty close once a year on average, but this story is about the time where we came closest to losing everything.

History will remember it most because, aside from the destruction and chaos that accompanied the battle, it was also the moment when the secret identities of the Power Rangers, the heroes of Earth, were finally revealed.

The funny thing, though, is that among the ranks of those protectors were two aliens from a distant planet named KO-35. And it turns out that Astronema, who was leading the charge for Dark Specter's forces of evil, was actually the long lost sister of one of the two aliens, Andros, the Red Ranger. She was also the crush of the second alien, Zhane, the Silver Ranger. The tabloids completely ate that up, as you can probably imagine, and the trio, plus Andros' very human girlfriend, Ashley, fielded interview requests for weeks after things were resolved. Then again, you probably knew about that already.

Everyone also knows about the final battle that took place in Angel Grove, about the last stand against Astronema's troops. After all, it wasn't long until Spielberg brought it to the big screen, casting some of the biggest talent in Tinseltown. Patrick Stewart's presence in the movie as Zordon obviously brought in all the Trekkies for multiple viewings while others flocked in to theaters to see the sizzling chemistry between rising stars Sarah Michelle Gellar as Ashley Hammond, the Yellow Ranger, and Ryan Gosling as Andros. The special-effects and explosion heavy movie grossed a fortune, eclipsing the records set by James Cameron's _Titanic_.

But there's a lot more to this story than you think you know, and maybe that's for the better, because being aware of it all might keep you from sleeping at night, for a few days anyways, until total exhaustion overpowers those feelings of uncertainty and fear.

The war was fought on many fronts, across the galaxy, but also across our planet. Heroes were born, heroes rose to the occasion, and yet others fell, yet no one knows about their stories and how their actions impacted the outcome of that fateful day.

Until now…

* * *

_Note: This trailer initially followed Chapter 5, but I thought it might be a nice teaser after the prologue. It only covers part of the story, as it will eventually expand outside of the MMPR era…_

**Voiceover as text appears simultaneously on black screen(VO): For years they protected us**

Tommy: It's morphin' time! White Ranger power!  
Adam: Black Ranger power!  
Kat: Pink Ranger power!  
Billy: Blue Ranger power!  
Aisha: Yellow Ranger power!  
Rocky: Red Ranger power!

**Using their powers to fight the forces of evil**

Cut to Jason, morphed as the Red Ranger, hand raised in the air as he calls out: "We need Thunderzord power, now!"

**And although they have all moved on to new lives**

Cut to Tanya, signing autographs at Empire Records. Cut to Jason, Zack & Trini hanging out at the Surf Spot.

**They are always ready to answer the call**

Cut to Adam fighting by Carlos' side in _Always a Chance_. Cut to Justin coming to the Space Rangers' aid in _True Blue to the Rescue_.

**Now, the greatest battle of all time is looming on the horizon**

Cut to a view of Astronema addressing her armies of Quantrons and then cut to swarms of velocifighters heading straight for Earth in _Countdown to Destruction, Part I_

**And their - time - is - up**

Cut to a detonator counting down its final seconds before flashing twice at 00:00 and exploding.

**This June**

Cut to Jason holding his cellphone to his ear, the sound of metal screeching against asphalt coming through. "Tommy!" he calls into it in a tone that makes Zack and Trini stop in their tracks and turn towards him, their faces worried and questioning.

**Their darkest hour is about to begin**

Cut to Kimberly running into her bedroom and slamming the door shut, locking it from the inside. She rushes to the antique chest at the foot of her bed, opens it, empties out all the clothing inside and removes its false bottom. She reaches in and when she stands back up, she holds her Power Bow tightly in her grip.

**And it will take everything they have to give**

Cut to an unmorphed Jason, standing between the Knasty Knight and the Photomare monster. As the Knight swings his sword, Jason rolls under. He gets to his feet and uses the Knight's momentum to spin him around, wresting his sword from the monster's hand. He then lunges for Photomare and slashes the sword down with all his strength.

**Just to survive**

Cut to a headstone. As we slowly pan out, we see Adam, dressed in black, walk past it towards a large monument.

_Power Rangers: Countdown._


	2. Chapter 1

__

_**Chapter 1  
**_

_**One More Day, Part I  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: March 1st, 2008)_

* * *

_Aquitar_

Billy Cranston had been examining various printouts and schematics spread out on the table before him for the last fifteen minutes, but he had yet to put his finger on the missing element, which, come to think of it, was probably staring him in the face.

He took his eyes off the papers and took a look at the people gathered around him. Were it anyone else in his shoes, the sight that offered itself to him would surely be cause for alarm and countless nightmares involving cold, sterile examination rooms and various intrusive probes, but considering his background, it was just another normal day for him.

Then again, normalcy wasn't a word he was really used to anymore. After all, few humans looked out their window every morning, only to be greeted by the sight of schools of fish swimming about. And even less of those humans would wind up spending their day surrounded by those who would consider them aliens. Actually, that narrowed it down significantly to one single individual from planet Earth.

Gathered around him were various members of the tech team that took care of the Alien Rangers' needs. Whether it was related to morphers, Zords, weapons or vehicles, everything went through them and, on occasion, Billy, whose experience with the Earth Rangers' technology made him an important asset.

Billy looked back down and pulled out the last set of schematics he'd been given. After a few moments spent studying them, he pulled out some printouts from another stack of documents he'd gone through before and leafed through the pages. "Of course," he whispered loudly enough for the others to take notice, "how could we have missed this?"

"Billy," Cestro began, "you have found something?" Cestro was the Blue Aquitian Ranger and also the head of the tech team.

"The whole hydraulic system in section P3 needs to be reviewed and modified," Billy answered, jotting things down on the corresponding section on the plans in front of him. "Otherwise, we might as well destroy the new Battle Borgs ourselves. I'm making some notes on these diagrams that should help your team rectify the situation in minimum time."

"Thank you, Billy," Cestro said, as he took the documents that Billy handed to him. "Truly, we are most fortunate to benefit from your assistance. We will get started on these modifications immediately."

As Cestro and his team excused themselves and left Billy's quarters, the young rocket scientist returned his attention to a different, more personal project, one that had kept him up many nights ever since his departure from Earth, although he'd had to place it on the backburner on a few occasions. But now it was completed, and ready, and he knew Zordon would be pleased with the knowledge, were he not currently being held prisoner by Dark Specter.

"We'll find a way to free you, Zordon," Billy whispered as he made sure all the folders and documentation were complete, even though he knew the odds were stacked against them. Recent communications with the Earth Rangers had brought news of the destruction of their Mega Voyager and Delta Megazord, which was definitely a crippling blow to their capacity of taking on Dark Specter's forces.

Once he was certain all was ready, he placed everything in a large metallic briefcase. Just as he was closing it, Billy's viewing disc beeped loudly. He picked it up and activated it, and saw that it was Delphine, the White Ranger and leader of the Aquitian Rangers.

"Delphine," Billy started, "I was just about to leave for Earth. Some business to attend to. I shouldn't be gone much more than-"

"Billy," she cut him off, a clear urgency in her voice. "I'm afraid your voyage home will have to wait. Sensors indicate Divatox's Subcraft is headed for a space in the vicinity of Aquitar. This could be it."

"Give me five minutes, Delphine," Billy said as he opened a drawer and pulled out a holodisk.

* * *

_Earth_

Tommy Oliver was completely at peace with himself, knowing that he'd done all he could. For what seemed to be the hundredth time since this entire ordeal had begun, he spared a glance at his watch, anxiety building as he knew his time was almost up.

Truth be told, he felt his days as a Power Ranger had been a walk in the park when compared to his current situation. Back then, he knew he could rely on his friends to have his back in battle, whereas now, after all of them had gone their separate ways, he only had himself to count on, and perhaps that was the scariest part.

He took a quick look around him, registering the anxiety that seemed to be shared by everyone in the room, and strangely found that it made him feel a little better, knowing that he wasn't the only one who was outside of his element, but that in this case, at least, maybe he stood a better chance than everyone else of getting through this.

"Your time is up," came a loud booming voice from the front of the room.

Tommy took his time in gathering his things, preferring to let the room clear up a bit before he got out of his chair, and made his way to the exit, where Anton Mercer, a renowned archaeologist and guest professor at USC was standing.

"So, Mr Oliver," he asked when Tommy was in front of him, "what do you think your chances are of getting into my summer internship after today?"

"I definitely feel like I have a good shot, Professor Mercer," Tommy responded as he handed him his answer booklet. "But in any case, I just want to thank you for this class. It's been an incredible experience."

"I'm just glad you followed up on my suggestion to enroll in the program, Mr. Oliver. And I have a feeling we'll be in touch fairly soon," Mercer said before he turned his attention to another student.

Just as Tommy stepped out into the hallway, he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. After all, finals were over and he was ready to fully enjoy the upcoming summer like none before, seeing as how it would be the first since his move to Angel Grove during which he wouldn't have to worry about battling the forces of evil.

Most of all, he couldn't believe his first year of university was done with. Most of his friends had been quite surprised when they'd learned of his plans to study paleontology at USC. Tommy's path had seemed to be headed towards racing or martial arts. He'd even thought of opening up a dojo and he'd actually found a location and thought up a name. It was going to be the _Rising Sun Karate Academy_, and it was going to be a dream come true.

But then one day, Jerome Stone asked him to deliver some food to what turned out to be a lecture given by Anton Mercer at the Angel Grove Cultural Center. That was the day Tommy's dreams changed.

And now he was back at his on-campus apartment. As he made his way through the front door, he immediately noticed the flashing light of the answering machine. He dropped his backpack on the floor and pressed the play button on the machine.

"Hey bro," the first message began, "Smitty here. Just calling to see how you did on the Mercer final. You're probably going to ace it, you're so into the whole dinosaur thing. Just remember, if you get in the internship and I don't, you'll owe me a dinner. Talk to you soon, man."

_Beep_

"Hi Tommy," the second message started, "it's me, Kat. Congratulations on finishing your first year, I'm sure you did great. I really miss you a great deal, and I know it isn't really likely, but I hope maybe we can see each other soon."

_Beep_

"Tommy," the last message began, "this is Hayley. I know today was your last final and that you probably wouldn't mind sleeping for a week, but I was hoping we were still on for tonight. Call me back?"

_Beeeep_

As the answering machine reset itself and Tommy picked up the receiver, he became aware a faint humming noise coming from his bedroom. Putting down the phone, he made his way to his room, only to find a large silver briefcase on his bed. On it was a holodisk similar to the one Billy had created for art class back when they were students at Angel Grove High.

He took the disk and activated it, causing a holographic projection of Billy's head to materialize in front of him.

"Tommy," the projection said, "I wish the circumstances were better and I didn't have to burden you with this. Unfortunately, it seems Dark Specter's endgame is in sight and therefore, I'm afraid this is something you'll have to do on your own."

* * *

_Space_

Astronema sat alone in her quarters, waiting. She looked outside, at the endless and cold expanse of blackness that enveloped the Dark Fortress, and couldn't help but feel a shiver run up her spine.

She didn't understand the emotions that were constantly threatening to tear her apart, ever since it had been revealed that Andros, the leader of the Power Rangers, was her long lost brother. For reasons she couldn't explain anymore, she had joined him and the Rangers in their quest to find and rescue Zordon, their friend and mentor to their predecessors. When she'd eventually been recaptured by Dark Specter, that wretched gnat, Darkonda, had done something to her. He'd reprogrammed her mind to serve the forces of darkness once more, under the orders of Dark Specter.

As she was thinking of this, her hand slowly made its way up to her forehead, her fingers trailing against soft, warm flesh. Eventually, they found their way to the microchip that emerged from her skin. It was a painful reminder that as long as he lived, Dark Specter would never let her escape his grasp. She hated him for it. Dark Specter had made her a victim, and she vowed that she wouldn't let this violation go unpunished.

All that was necessary at this stage was to keep focused and ensure Dark Specter's forces would take over the universe. Eventually, with that accomplished and his guards lowered, she'd destroy him, and Darkonda, for good measure, and her own pleasure, and have it all for herself.

She brought her attention to a holographic display of the universe that was projected against the far wall. Soon, they would simultaneously launch a series of attacks in various strategic points and they'd destroy all the so-called champions.

But before she could make that call, there were loose ends she would have to take care of. After all, she wouldn't make the same mistake again.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Ecliptor, her most loyal soldier. He too had fallen victim to Dark Specter's machinations, and Astronema's revenge would be carried out for him as well.

"It is time," Ecliptor announced as he knelt on one knee, in a show of deference.

"Excellent." Astronema smiled as she walked out, wrath staff in hand, followed by him. "Tell me, Ecliptor," she asked, "is the device ready?"

"It is in play, and activated, Astronema," Ecliptor confirmed, as the doors to her quarters slid shut behind them.

Things were slowly falling into place. The wait was almost over.

* * *

_Earth_

Adam Park had never really liked school counselors. Actually, it wasn't that he didn't personally like them, it was more about the setting in which they worked.

Sitting across from their students at a large desk with their credentials framed and hanging on the walls to their offices, they had always seemed out of reach, in a way. It was as if, although they were supposed to be your friend, someone you could identify with, there was always a divide.

It was therefore ironic that Adam's journey took him on that path, although maybe it wasn't too surprising. Back when he'd been enrolled at Angel Grove High, he'd become a mentor and a friend to a boy named Shawn, who reminded Adam of himself quite a bit. That connection was clear especially after he'd been paid a visit by Goldar, the Ghost of Christmas Past, who had used the Mirror of Regret to show Adam some of his weaker moments in the hopes of shattering Adam's confidence in himself.

Over time, Adam had seen Shawn's confidence grow leaps and bounds, much as it had been the case for him, thanks in part to his learning of martial arts and his mentor's encouragements and faith in him.

More recently, he'd helped Carlos Vallerte, the current Black Ranger, who had accidentally injured the Pink Ranger, Cassie Chan, while in battle with Lizwizard, an event that, at the time, had shattered Carlos and threatened to tear the team apart.

So with those experiences in mind, Adam had begun looking into ways to help kids reach their potential and rise above any fears or uncertainties that they faced in their lives.

And now, thanks to Mr. Caplan, his old principal, here he was. Adam Park, guidance counselor, or rather, trainee guidance counselor. But what no one at the school knew, however, was that Adam hadn't taken the job solely for the purpose of counseling teenagers. He also had his own agenda, given to him by the man who'd set him on his path earlier in his life.

So far, things had been going pretty smoothly. The kids were at ease with him, and the counselor he was replacing seemed to think Adam would bring a refreshing change to the school.

A knock on the frame of his office door made him close the file he had been looking at. As he looked up, he saw one of the students he'd met with earlier in the week. She was on the honor roll, athletic and a bit of a quiet nature. There was some insecurity in her, but Adam was certain she'd work through that in the coming months.

"Victoria," he said, smiling, "what can I do for you?"

"I don't want to take up any of your time, Mr. Park," she answered, taking a step into his office, "but I just wanted to thank you for our talk the other day. My parents actually agreed to let me take lessons, as long as I save up to buy a board myself."

"That's great news," Adam said, pleased to see the excitement on her face. That's when the bell rang, indicating fifth period was about to begin.

"I gotta run," Victoria started, "potential pop quiz in math."

Adam gave her a wave of his hand as she left his office, and turned his attention back to the folder on his desk, which incidentally contained a copy of her file. He took a fax cover page, and on the subject line, wrote: _Victoria Hansen - Candidate_.

Just as the documents finished going through the fax, his watch's alarm went off, reminding Adam of a meeting he had with the principal. He dropped the cover page and the transmission confirmation page in the paper shredder and made his way out.

* * *

_Somewhere_

The device was hidden from sight, in a place no one would find it, unless their luck was off the charts. In had been placed there in the cover of darkness, at a time where its bearer had been certain he would go unnoticed.

It was made of a metallic alloy, the key property of which was that it could blend almost perfectly with any surroundings, rendering it practically invisible to the unlooking eye.

In essence, that would have been perfect, except that the forces of evil tended to be slightly cocky at times, deciding to forego pragmatism and discretion in favor of the embracing of certain clichés. Case in point, the perfect blending nature of the small apparatus, which was ruined by the presence of a small digital display.

The display read 23:00:00. It was counting down. And once it reached zero, the detonator would explode.

_To be continued..._


	3. Chapter 2

____

_**Chapter 2  
**_

_**One More Day, Part II  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: March 4th, 2008)_

* * *

_California_

Tommy was seated at a booth in a small diner, finishing a hearty breakfast and enjoying his second coffee refill. That morning, he'd had to leave his apartment bright and early to be sure to make an appointment at 10:00 that required him to complete a good hour and a half drive.

He'd made it to his destination with a solid forty minutes to spare and had decided to make the best of it by making a quick stop to recharge his batteries. But this little bit of time off had also given him the opportunity to think about the events of the last day.

There was a definite irony in his joyful realization that he'd be able to spend a monsterless and stress-free summer in Angel Grove. He had barely started his vacation and already, he was being dragged back into the mix.

The previous night, he'd replayed Billy's message a few times, just to be sure he hadn't missed anything. He'd also taken the time to go through the briefcase's contents, to make sure he knew all the information he needed before making contact for the first time. This was going to be a hard sell and Tommy needed to know all the details inside and out.

That had meant bailing on Hayley, which was something Tommy hadn't been wanting to do. But as always, he had to put the greater good ahead of everything else. And besides, she'd been rather understanding, especially considering the elaborate story he'd concocted to excuse himself.

Tommy stayed in the diner another fifteen minutes after he was done and then stepped out, making his way across the street to the first building on the corner.

He made his way inside and told the first person he met that he had a meeting with the Chief, and that said meeting had been arranged by a common friend, ex-lieutenant Jerome Stone, who'd once worked in the Angel Grove Police Department. The truth was that Tommy pretended to be Stone when making the appointment to be sure he got it. It wasn't exactly his idea of doing the right thing, but time had dictated that he take a sneakier approach.

He was brought to the second floor of the building, to a small waiting room by the Chief's office. Still replaying the scene as it would hopefully go down in his mind, Tommy sat down and set the briefcase on his lap.

* * *

_Angel Grove_

"8:05 and we're back on Angel Grove Radio, and that was _Stick Together_," the radio announcer announced excitedly, "the first single from Tanya Sloan's self titled album that just hit store shelves last week. And for those of you in the LA area, remember to drop by Empire Records today between 9:00 and 15:00 for the chance to get an autograph from Tanya herself. We'll be back with more hits right after -"

"No you won't," Justin Stewart stated as he turned off his alarm clock. The young teen then made his way out of his room and down the stairs, only to find his father standing in their kitchen, struggling to get his tie on straight while at the same time keeping an eye on the stove.

"Morning, Dad," Justin called out as he hopped on a stool across from his dad. "What's with the tie?"

"I've got to catch a 9:30 flight out to Chicago," Doug Stewart answered, as he finally managed to get the tie right, "meet with one of the company's major clients. I'll be back Monday."

"But it's Saturday," Justin replied, the confusion and disappointment in his voice obvious.

"I know, buddy," his father said, "but this is the kind of sacrifice we need to make if we want to stay here in Angel Grove. I'll make it up to you next week, I promise."

"Okay," Justin answered, resigned. "I was gonna go train at the dojo this afternoon with Rocky anyways."

Justin grabbed his glass of grapefruit juice and took a sip as his dad turned towards the stove. He thought he heard some mild swearing but dismissed the thought as soon as the notion of food entered his mind.

"So, what's for breakfast?" he asked, hopeful, moments before his father turned around and set a plate down in front of him. Justin just stared at it for a second and with an exasperated ring to his voice, asked, "Again?"

"What do you mean, _again_?" his dad answered as he took a stack of reports and loaded them in his briefcase. "Yesterday was pancakes and today is French toast. Didn't you tell me you wanted variety?"

"I mean _burnt_," Justin continued as he poked at his plate's charred contents with his fork.

"I'm sorry, Justin," Doug said, as he took a look at his watch, "but I'm really going to have to go. Check-in rules and all that. I"ll see you Monday, alright?"

"It's okay, Dad," Justin said as his father rushed out of the room, briefcase in hand. "Just don't forget your luggage!"

Doug Stewart stepped back into the room and grabbed an imposing suitcase. "Wouldn't want that to happen again, now, would we? Have a great week-end, son," he said with a smile before he turned and left, front door slamming shut behind him.

Justin took his plate and made his way to the trash bin, unceremoniously dropping the blackened contents in.

"A great week-end?" Justin said to himself as he slowly walked to towards the fridge. "I'll probably just die of boredom."

* * *

_Space_

Astronema sat at the end of a long table and scanned those who were seated around it. It was an eclectic assortment, to say the least, but this plan required the intervention of wild cards, of players whose _modus operandi_ was relatively unknown.

"You've all had the opportunity to think about the plan I submitted to you yesterday," she began, eyeing each of them in turn. "I trust that there are no objections to it."

It surprised her that none of them said anything. She had expected some sort of resistance. They all had strong personalities and therefore, she'd been certain at least one of them would try to impose a plan of their own.

"Then it's settled," she said. "You have your tasks and the applicable timeframes. How you set about completing your missions is all up to you, but the results must be met. For the triumph of our lord, Dark Specter."

At once, they all nodded at her and stood up. Moments later, they had all filed out of the room and were being escorted to their transports by Quantrons.

A smile danced across her lips as she realized triumph was almost in her grasp.

* * *

_Los Angeles_

Tanya Sloan smiled brightly as the camera's flash went off for what seemed like the hundredth time already. The picture taken, she took a few moments to autograph a fan's copy of her debut album and exchange a few words with the girl before she left.

"Take five," came a voice behind her, cueing the store personnel to hold off the next fans for a few minutes. Vincent Nova, her manager, walked up to the table she sat at with a bottle of water which he handed her. "First autograph session, Tanya, how're you holding up?"

"Great," Tanya answered as she uncapped the bottle and took a few mouthfuls. "It's a bit surreal that all these people turned up, but I'm loving every minute of it. Except the camera flashes. I could do without those." She laughed at that, just to be sure he didn't take her seriously and wind up labeling her as high maintenance.

"Perfect," Vincent said. "We've got another few hours, and then you'll be able to do whatever you want for the rest of the day. Sound good?"

"Excellent," Tanya nodded, smiling infectiously, still basking in the fact that people were lining up to get her autograph.

"Now back to your fans," Vincent ordered good-naturedly before signaling the staff to let people advance once again. He then left Tanya's side and headed for the back of the store.

The next people in the line were two young girls who must have been around 12. They both had blond flowing hair and were dressed in a way that showcased their individuality, something quite refreshing when Tanya looked at all the other teenagers who just obeyed the latest fashion trends and crazes blindly.

"Hi, girls," she greeted them, opening up with some small talk. "Where are you two from?"

"We're from Reefside," one of them replied. She seemed to be the more perky of the two.

"Wow, you came a long way just to meet me," Tanya continued, truly flattered.

"Well, that's because we want to be just like you when we grow up," the same girl answered, "We already sing songs together and all. My name's Kylee, by the way."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Kylee," Tanya said as she shook the girl's hand. She looked at her friend, who still hadn't said a single word. "And what's your name, sweetheart?"

"Kira," the girl said as she shook Tanya's offered hand. "Kira Ford."

"Well, Kira, Kylee, it's a pleasure to meet you two. Now how about a picture and some autographs. It'd be a shame to come all this way and not get those."

The joy that radiated from their eyes was truly touching, Tanya thought as she posed with the two girls. To have the chance to sing for a living and be a role model and an inspiration, she couldn't have asked for anything more.

* * *

_California_

Tommy had only been waiting for a few minutes when the door to the Chief's office opened and a young woman stepped out to greet him. She couldn't have been more than a few years older than him, most probably a college student. Definitely easy on the eyes with her shoulder-length honey-blond hair and her cute smile, seeing her reminded him of Kat.

"Hi," she said, "extending her hand. "You must be Tommy. The Chief will be there in a few minutes, but in the meantime, I'll show you into his office and you can wait for him there."

"Thank you," he answered, shaking her hand and following her in the next room. Once she left him, he sat down, setting his case by his side, and started to look around, taking stock of all the plaques and awards that adorned the walls of this place.

As a Power Ranger, Tommy had always had the protection of the Morphing Grid when going up against monsters, which kept him safe from some of the most lethal hits and attacks they launched at him. He'd had it easy when compared to these guys, who always rushed into the unknown, never certain if they'd make it out alive or not, but still willing to put their lives on the line for others.

"Slightly intimidating, I know," said the man who then stepped into the room. "I've never cared for all of it so much, but I've always found that it inspires new recruits. The media love it, too. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Oliver."

"Thank you, sir," Tommy replied as he shook the man's hand and sat back down.

"Now," the Chief continued, installing himself behind his large mahogany desk "why don't you tell me a bit about why you want to join our ranks, son?"

"Actually," Tommy began, knowing that this is where it started to get tricky, "that's not exactly the kind of recruitment I had in mind."

"You'll have to enlighten me then," the Chief continued. "It seemed to me from the message left by Jerome Stone, that you were interested in joining us."

"Actually," Tommy said, beginning to struggle as his preparedness was falling apart, "I just really needed to meet you, and that was just a pretext."

"So, what is it you want from me, exactly, young man?" the Chief asked, a slight annoyance beginning to creep into his voice.

At this point, Tommy knew that anything fancy or elaborate he might have concocted would more likely blow up in his face. A direct and honest approach was his best shot.

"I'm here about your son, sir," he said, "I'm here about Ryan.

* * *

_Somewhere_

As anticipated, no one had taken notice of the detonator as it continued to count down silently, undisturbed and unaffected by the activity surrounding it.

In less than five hours, it would go boom, the start of an opening salvo that would bring them to their knees and tear their world apart.

_To be continued..._


	4. Chapter 3

____

_**Chapter 3  
**_

_**One More Day, Part III  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: March 18th, 2008)_

* * *

_Mariner Bay_

"I'm here about your son, sir," the young man had said, "I'm here about Ryan."

Those words had hit Chief Bill Mitchell like a brick wall. Over the last few minutes, he'd gone through quite a varied range of emotions, from cordial to slightly annoyed and now, with this unexpected revelation, he found himself overflowing with a mix of anger and sorrow.

"What do you know about Ryan?" he asked slowly, intent on making it clear that he expected a straight answer.

"I know that on March 25th, 1985, a demonic signature was tracked to and from the location where you and your family had an accident that took you off a road," Tommy Oliver answered. "You and your daughter were found by emergency personnel hanging on to a tree limb off the side of a cliff. Your son wasn't with you, although we have reason to believe he wasn't entirely lost to you that night."

A wave of sorrow washed over Bill Mitchell as he began to relive the traumatic events of that night. "The demon's name was Diabolico," he explained, "and when he arrived, Dana and Ryan were both holding on to me, but Ryan was slipping. Diabolico offered to save my son's life in exchange for his freedom. At first, I didn't want to go through with such a deal, but for Ryan's life? I didn't have a choice, especially once Ryan lost his grip on me and began falling. I called out for Diabolico and he saved my son, telling me I would see him again on his 20th birthday."

"I'm sorry I had to bring you back to that night, Chief Mitchell," Tommy continued once he'd heard all the details, confirming pretty much everything Billy and Zordon had been able to piece together regarding the event, "but I had to make you remember what you'd lost before I made you an offer I need you to accept, as the fate of the world might rest in your hands."

"What is it?" Bill Mitchell asked. "Though more importantly, who are you, really?"

"I truly am Tommy Oliver," Tommy said. "That wasn't a lie. And until a year and a half ago, I was a Power Ranger."

"A Power Ranger?" Mitchell countered, skeptical. "Can you prove this?"

"Unfortunately, no." Tommy answered. "All my power sources have been drained or destroyed over the years. However, I do have something in here that might convince you I'm on the level."

Bill Mitchell looked on as Tommy picked up the case that was by his chair and placed it on the desk. He then opened it and pulled out a smaller metallic receptacle. He took a small device from it and replaced the case on the chair next to him.

"What is that?" Mitchell asked, nodding towards what Tommy was holding.

"It's a new morpher prototype," Tommy answered, strapping it to his wrist. "It's linked to what we call the Morphing Grid and although the threads are slightly different than previous versions, these powers are just as formidable."

Just as Bill Mitchell was about to follow up with another question, Tommy stood up, took a fighting stance, and flicked a switch on the morpher, calling out, "Lightspeed Force, Power Up! Ha!"

A second and a blinding flash of light later, he stood before Mitchell in a skin tight red and white spandex uniform, with a red helmet. "Satisfied?" When all Mitchell could respond was a nod, Tommy called out "Power down!" and was instantly back in his civilian clothes.

"So," Tommy continued as he removed the morpher from his wrist and put it back in its place, "now that I've gotten your undivided attention, I can tell you why I'm here. I need you to be the mentor to the next incarnation of Power Rangers, and defend Mariner Bay from the forces of Diabolico and his brethren."

* * *

_Kenya_

It had been a bit over three years since Aisha Campbell had started a new life in Kenya. After Master Vile had used the Orb of Doom to turn the Rangers into powerless children, they had gone on a quest to find the pieces of the Zeo Crystal to remedy the situation. Her journey for a shard of the Crystal had brought her here and she had decided to stay and help deal with a plague that had hit the local fauna and was threatening to spread. She'd sent Tanya back to Angel Grove with the shard to take her place among the team as the Yellow Ranger and put her own experience with Dr. Wheeler at the Angel Grove animal shelter to good use in her new home.

Now, as the afternoon wore on and the sun's heat was slowly losing its intensity, Aisha could feel the heat coming from her fire more and more. Beads of sweat rolled down the side of her face, the sounds of the wildlife filled her ears, and her muscles were beginning to ache from the pose she had been holding the entire time, yet she still managed to keep her concentration levels high enough to complete the task at hand.

Over the last few years, Aisha had spent quite a bit of time with her great aunt Ashalla, a woman revered among her tribe. According to her, Aisha had developed an powerful connection with the wildlife of the region and this bond also translated into a very strong link with the land itself. And with the proper training, it appeared she could harness this ability to see visions of the future.

At first, Aisha hadn't quite believed that this could even happen, but as time passed, she experienced episodes of déjà-vu that became more and more detailed and real. With time, she'd learned to channel this newfound power to find sick or wounded animals or tribe members more easily, to sense certain events.

One thing she hadn't expected was that her connection to the Morphing Grid would also feed into this power. She had experienced strong visions on the day the final battle of Eltar had taken place. She'd literally seen their allies fall and Zordon be captured by the forces of Dark Specter. Again, the previous night, she'd awoken suddenly, following dreams in which the forces of evil were taking over the universe, establishing their supremacy one planet at a time. She'd felt herself be swallowed by darkness, surrounded by an evil so ancient, and so desperate to escape its confinement so it could wreak havoc on Earth. She'd seen herself, running across a desert, somehow familiar although not a place she recognized as being in Kenya and she felt an overwhelming distress that had washed over her, tearing her from her sleep.

Since her brusque awakening, Aisha had been sitting here, cross-legged, before a blazing fire and an even hotter sun, desperately attempting to consciously tap into the visions, hoping to be able to get a clearer glimpse of what was to come, so that she may warn her friends in time.

Now, after what easily felt like half a day, she was starting to have some luck as a deluge of images began to flood her mind.

Seconds later, Aisha's eyes snapped open and she got on her feet, running back towards her hut, praying she wouldn't be too late.

* * *

_London_

When she had initially been offered the opportunity to attend the Royal Academy of Dance for a semester, Katherine Hillard had never thought she would be able to do it. Obviously, at the time, she had some far more important matters to deal with, being the Pink Ranger. But, there had also been fear, of the unknown, of having to live up to the heightened expectations of one of the most prestigious dance schools in the world.

Fortunately for her, she had been able to accept this unique chance when she'd transferred her world-saving responsibilities to Cassie Chan, who was now traveling through space with Andros and the Space Rangers.

That choice had been a hard one to make, though it was hardly unprecedented. Her own predecessor had stepped down for an opportunity to pursue her training in gymnastics with a world-renowned coach. It seemed natural to Kat to do the same, especially considering the confidence she had in her replacement.

The harder thing had been to leave Tommy behind. During the time they'd spent as teammates, their relationship had matured greatly and it had seemed that stepping down from the team would give them the opportunity to take things to the next level. Kat had even tried to imagine at times what it could be like to have a family with Tommy and she often found herself laughing at the prospect of their children being part of the next generation of Power Rangers, continuing the legacy left by their parents and countless others.

It had been Tommy's idea that she pursue this. He'd known perfectly well that accepting the Academy's offer would mean that they would be living apart, but there hadn't been a sliver of a doubt that he wanted her to follow her dream, just as he was pursuing his. And as far as their relationship was concerned, the long-distance thing was working out surprisingly well. It obviously helped that Tommy had access to technology that allowed him to make the trip to London every once in a while. Add to that a few Aquitian viewing discs that Billy had provided them with and it almost felt as if there wasn't an ocean and a whole continent separating them.

As classes had pretty much all come to an end in the last hour, Kat now had a studio all to herself. She suspected she might even be the only person still in the building, this being Saturday night in London and with everyone she knew at the Academy having plans for the evening. Truth be told, this was how she enjoyed it. Just her in an empty studio with her personal music selections playing on the sound system, it was just perfect enough for her to be lost in the moment, even as she went through a few stretching exercises using the wall bar.

Her focus was so complete she didn't hear the whirring noises coming from just outside the room.

* * *

_Angel Grove_

If for Katherine Hillard, stepping down from her position as a Power Ranger had been a choice, for Rocky DeSantos, it was a completely different story.

For Rocky, the end had come when he injured his back training with Tommy and Adam for a martial arts competition during which they were to square off against their long-time rivals, Stone Canyon, for a 25,000 prize they were hoping to collect for the benefit of the Little Angel's Haven. The stakes had been so important for Rocky that he'd pushed himself too hard, taking a bad fall from the ring after an unfortunately executed spinning heel kick.

When the Rangers had been called upon to go up against Divatox right after this accident, Rocky had had no other choice than to give up his spot on the team to Justin Stewart, who became the Blue Turbo Ranger.

While Rocky had trouble adjusting to being forced out of his position he'd also started to think of what he would do now that his responsibilities as a Ranger no longer weighed on his shoulders.

When Jerome Stone had mentioned his plans to sell the Angel Grove Youth Center so that he could instead set up a catering service, Rocky and Jason Lee Scott, the original Red Ranger, decided that since they wouldn't be able to teach martial arts there anymore, maybe they could look into opening up their own school.

And so, with the financial and logistical help of their friends, they had opened up the _Rising Sun Karate Academy_, which they named after Tommy's suggestion. Mainly, Rocky and Jason taught classes, but there were also other regular fixtures in the dojo's schedule, such as hip-hop kido with Zack Taylor, the original Black Ranger, kung fu and tai chi with Trini Kwan, the original Yellow Ranger, and the occasional class with Adam and Tommy when they were in town.

While they targeted various groups of people, which reflected itself in their diversified program, they mainly hoped to give kids a positive way to channel their energy, knowing from personal experience the benefits that came from classes like the one Rocky was finishing up.

As he looked at the young faces in front of him, Rocky couldn't help but feel pride and a strong sense of accomplishment. This particular group was composed of beginners and each and every one of them had gained a great deal of confidence and ability since their first session at the beginning of the year.

He bowed slightly and they all did the same, the synchronicity of it all making him smile. He then reached for a blue towel behind him and said, "Great class, everyone. We'll work on this kata some more next week."

As his students made their way to the locker rooms, and a different group emerged for a more advanced class, Rocky headed for the front counter. Justin had been sitting there, taking any calls that came in and doing some reading, waiting for classes to end so that he could practice some new moves with Rocky once he was finished for the day.

"Any messages?" Rocky asked as he grabbed a water bottle that was behind the counter.

"Just Jason and the others, they'll be coming by a little later than agreed," Justin replied, not taking his eyes off his book. It turned out that not only was he incredibly smart for his age, but he also pulled off multi-tasking remarkably well, even though this probably wasn't the best example of this particular skill.

"Alright, thanks Justin," Rocky said before he walked back to his spot in front of the group. "Back to action," he whispered to himself as he readied to greet his students.

* * *

_Mariner Bay_

"You want me to what?" Bill Mitchell had asked Tommy following the rather unique proposal that had been made to him.

"You understood me just fine," Tommy said. "These demons took your son and they did it for a reason. They knew, somehow, that you would be a major player once they got out, and so they tried to take you out of the running ahead of time by taking away your hope, by taking away Ryan. You have to take them on."

Bill Mitchell's head dropped briefly and he asked, raising his eyes slowly. "So how do I go about doing this? You give me this "morpher" and somehow I fight them and save the world?"

"Actually," Tommy said before pulling two thick files out of the case and handing them to him, "I'm going to give you a lot more."

"First file," he began, "contains information on individuals that have been approached over the past years and months, people who will help you make this happen. First off, your government and army liaison General Rodger McKnight, who will be able to grant you pretty much anything you'll need from budget, to manpower, to the latest technologies available on the market."

"Also, Commander Norquist, from NASADA, who is currently assisting in the final preparations of the Terra Venture project, and who will be putting any needed resources at your disposal. He's notably accepted to assign Angela Fairweather, his top researcher and creator, in charge of the Lightspeed project."

"Last but not least, Billy Cranston an ex-Power Ranger like myself, and Cestro, an ally from the water-based planet Aquitar. Our sources indicate that these demons have an aversion to water and therefore we feel Aquitian technology could give us the edge we need for the coming battle."

"This takes me to the second file," Tommy continued as Mitchell opened up a folder filled with diagrams and blueprints. "It contains plans for what we call the Lightspeed Aquabase. Inspired by constructions on Aquitar, it's an underwater base where you will lead your operations. It also contains basic information that will help Angela Fairweather with the design of morphers, weapons and zords."

"That's a great skeleton for this operation, Tommy," Mitchell said, still poring through the folder's contents, "but one important question remains. Who will be a part of this team?"

"We're leaving that to your discretion, Chief Mitchell," Tommy answered. "You need to select a group of individuals that you feel confident will be able to work together to face what will at times seem like insurmountable odds. I will suggest, however, that you make your daughter a part of this."

Mitchell raised his eyes from the papers upon hearing this. "Dana?" he questioned. "Why?"

"The demons went after Ryan to weaken you," Tommy stated, "they'll go after Dana the moment they're free to take you out once and for all. Make her a part of this team, and you'll be giving her the power to fight them off and teammates to watch her back."

Bill Mitchell nodded once, and Tommy could see that any questioning or uncertainty he might have felt had given way to firm resolve.

"And Ryan?" he asked, finally.

"Diabolico said you'd see him again on his twentieth birthday," Tommy said. "I'd count on that happening, although from personal experience, I wouldn't be surprised if he comes back as a pawn of Diabolico, to take on your team. You'll just have to be ready for him."

"When do we start?" Bill Mitchell asked, and Tommy smiled, just knowing that things in Mariner Bay would turn out all right.

* * *

_Los Angeles_

As he now walked outside Empire Records, seeing the endless lineup of people waiting to get a chance to meet with one of his best friends, Adam couldn't help but smile.

After a relatively long week at the school spent meeting with students, trying to weed out the most promising prospects he could find, Adam was happy that he'd get to spend some time with Tanya. After all, she might have turned into a pop star overnight, but that didn't mean she had forgotten about her friends. They'd planned this little meeting the moment Tanya knew she'd be in the area, knowing that Blue Bay Harbor was only a short drive away from Los Angeles.

Adam took a seat on a bench in a slightly shaded area and pulled out his cell phone. He'd been waiting for an important call for the last day now and he was starting to get worried. To put his mind at ease, he flipped it open, dialed a number and waited to be connected.

"Wind Ninja Academy," a boy answered at the other end of the line.

"Hi Cam," Adam said, recognizing the boy's voice, "this is Adam Park, could I speak to your father please?"

"Just a moment," Cam replied.

It wasn't long before Kanoi Watanabe, his one time mentor, was on the line. "Adam," he said simply.

"Sensei," Adam replied, deference and respect in his voice.

"I am pleased with the files you have sent me, Adam," Sensei said. "I feel these charges of yours will make particularly good recruits for the Academy, much like you once were. Some might even have what it takes to become Wind Rangers, like the Clarke boy. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I will have to cut this discussion short, as a recent situation has recently developed, requiring my immediate attention."

"What's happening, Sensei?" Adam asked, catching on to the man's worried tone.

"Master Mao of the _Pai Zhuq _has requested my assistance," Sensei explained. "He senses a great upheaval is about to take place and that it will tip the scales in favor of the forces of darkness. He fears that this may be a sign Dai Shi will be released into our world. He has requested my presence as well as that of Sensei Omino's. I will be departing shortly with a group of my more experienced students."

"Do you want me to come along, Sensei?" Adam asked, his loyalty for his old teacher taking over.

"That will not be necessary, Adam," Kanoi said simply. "We are taking all the necessary measures to ensure Dai Shi's remains in his prison. I will call you upon my return."

After Sensei hung up, Adam took a moment to assimilate all this information. Master Mao was the leader of the Order of the Claw, kung fu practitioners who, among other things, were to protect the world from the Dai Shi, a great evil that dated back 10,000 years. Dai Shi believed that animals were meant to rule the planet and that humans needed to be obliterated, but the Order had captured him and were sworn to protect the Earth were he to escape.

It didn't ease Adam's mind at all that this grand upheaval was possibly going to happen now that Dark Specter's endgame was in sight. At the very least, he felt some relief from the knowledge that with the help of Sensei Watanabe of the Wind Ninja Academy and Sensei Omino of the Thunder Ninja Academy, Master Mao would have little trouble dissuading anyone who might be planning on freeing Dai Shi.

Or at the very least, he sure hoped they'd be up to it. The last thing Earth needed now was for Dark Specter to gain more allies.

_To be continued..._


	5. Chapter 4

____

_**Chapter 4  
**_

_**One More Day, Part IV  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: March 30th, 2008)_

_

* * *

_

_Angel Grove_

Some people spend a good part of their lives searching for who they are. It seems as if every year that goes by, they develop new interests and passions that they think will lead them to their ultimate purpose. Eventually, however, they realize that there is something completely shiny and new and exciting just around the corner.

For Farkas 'Bulk' Bulkmeier and Eugene 'Skull' Skullovitch, that fact of life couldn't have been truer. Most of their high school academic career had been a mix between causing mischief and being stuck in detention. That was until they became obsessed with discovering the identities of the Power Rangers. Countless failed attempts later they set their sights on girls, applying the ages old belief that women couldn't resist men in uniforms and signing up in the Angel Grove Junior Police. When their superior, Lieutenant Jerome Stone, was released from his functions and started up his own detective agency, they followed him into that venture. Then, a series of mishaps left them turned into monkeys and then invisible. Upon their return, they started experimenting with various odd jobs, until they finally found something no one could have predicted.

Earlier that year, Bulk and Skull had met with a peculiar little old man, Professor Phenomenus. He was a scientist with an obsession with aliens, and although his ideas were at times far from orthodox, it was still obvious that the man had a great deal of knowledge and that he could be on to something. And so Bulk and Skull had become his assistants of sorts, never backing down from a mission he might assign them, hoping that someday, they might be involved in a discovery that would lead them all to fame and fortune. And there was also another hope, an inkling that maybe they'd land on the Rangers' identities, but that would be more of a perk than a necessity.

It wasn't too surprising that they were waiting for the Professor right now, at the Surf Spot, as an apparently incredible event had taken place and he needed to tell them about it in person. From past experience, they knew that such an event could prove to be nothing, as the Professor had once mistaken a watermelon for an extra-terrestrial pod, but for the sake of thoroughness, they were always ready and willing to face the possibility he might be right.

"So, what's it gonna be this time, Bulk?" Skull asked his best friend before taking a bite of his cheeseburger.

"Huh?" Bulk replied, distracted as he tried to squeeze ketchup out of a bottle and onto his fries.

"You know," Skull answered, his words barely comprehensible on account of his mouth being full, "the incredible event." He swallowed his bite. "We've had watermelons, rabbits, beehives. Maybe this time he'll show up with a piece of a UFO that'll actually be a sheet of aluminum foil."

"Have some faith in the man, Skull," Bulk said, giving up on the bottle, "maybe this time he'll be on to something. And then we'll be famous", he concluded as he brought the plastic bottle down hard, apparently giving up on it. It slammed on the table and, predictably, a stream of ketchup spurt out of it, going high and just at the right angle to conclude its trajectory squarely on Bulk's face and his t-shirt.

* * *

"Some things will never change," Jason Lee Scott said with a brief chuckle from his seat at the table next to Bulk and Skull. He was with Zack Taylor and Trini Kwan, two friends he had gone through a great deal with over the years. All those events had made them grow into the closest friends you could find.

They were three of the original team of Power Rangers assembled by Zordon of Eltar following Rita Repulsa's escape from her space dumpster. For just over a year, they'd fended off her attacks on Earth and they'd still been around when her successor, Lord Zedd, set his crimson sights on conquering the planet.

Then, they'd had the honor of being chosen to represent Angel Grove at the World Teen Summit held in Switzerland. The experience had been amazing, even though it had meant passing along their powers to replacement Rangers Rocky, Adam and Aisha.

Jason had returned to Angel Grove soon thereafter, while Zack and Trini stayed behind for some backpacking and visiting of some of the great European attractions and tourist spots. His return had been timely as Tommy had asked for his assistance in helping deal with King Mondo and the Machine Empire with the powers of Trey of Triforia, the Gold Ranger.

His second stint as a Ranger over, Jason then wound up going in business with Rocky, and soon thereafter, Zack and Trini returned to Angel Grove, reuniting the trio once again.

"Here you go, Bulk," Jason said as he handed him a handful of clean napkins from their table. Bulk accepted them earnestly with a grateful nod of his head before he started to dab at the ketchup stains on his clothes. "You were saying, Zack?" he asked his friend, turning his attention away from the walking disaster magnets at the next table.

"I was talking to you about the class schedule. Are you sure you don't mind switching time slots with me next Thursday, Jase?" Zack now asked him as they were waiting for Adele to bring them their orders.

"Of course not, bro," Jason answered. "But I'll be counting on you to help me out with that women's self-defense class I'm putting together for next month."

"Done deal, my man," Zack said, nodding.

"It's really great you're still doing that, Jason," Trini chimed in. "My mom took the class way back when you were teaching it with Tommy and she always talks about it to her friends when I tell her a session's coming up."

"Maybe we should look into giving her a commission for the referrals," Jason said in a tone that was dead serious, even though it was obvious he was kidding.

"Has anyone told you recently how funny you aren't?" Trini countered.

The three friends started to laugh just as, across the Surf Spot, Professor Phenomenus made his entrance, wasting little time in getting to the neighboring table, where Bulk was just getting the last traces of ketchup off his face. Considering the Professor's opening comments, it was hard for Jason and the others not to eavesdrop on the conversation that then took place.

"Boys," Phenomonous began excitedly, "something huge is happening as we speak. Earth is being invaded! By aliens!"

"Aliens, huh?" Skull asked, clearly not too convinced or concerned by this declaration of possible impending mayhem.

"Exactly one hour ago, my machines detected otherworldly energy signatures simultaneously entering Earth space in different spots all over the planet," he continued, catching his breath.

Jason, Zack and Trini exchanged glances. Such comments were apparently common occurrence when it came to the eccentric professor, but with their background as Rangers, it felt like a plausible, and therefore quite probable, threat.

"Where on Earth, Professor?" Bulk asked as he got on his feet, wholeheartedly going along while Skull still sat, not preoccupied in the least and now chewing on some fries.

"I was able to track signatures piercing Earth's atmosphere in trajectories aimed at the Western States, the center of Africa and Western Europe," Phenomenous answered.

"You guys don't think," Trini began, though from the looks the trio exchanged, the three of them were clearly on the same page.

"The others would have warned us, Jase," Zack said, referring to the Space Rangers. Ever since Adam had given them an assist, recently, the Rangers had consistently given them a heads up whenever something was up, just in case. If indeed, alien signatures had been detected by Phenomenus, it stood to reason that the Astro Megaship's sensors would have picked up on them as well.

"Maybe you're right, Zack," Jason conceded, "but I want to be sure." He pulled out a small wristwatch-like device from his backpack, a communicator that Billy had conceived in their early days as Rangers. After a few recent modifications, it now allowed them to contact the Astro Megaship.

* * *

_Astro Megaship_

"I've got nothing, Jason," Ashley Hammond said aloud as she made her way across the Megaship's bridge, taking in all the necessary information from the various monitors and displays at a glance. "We've had no activity in Earth's vicinity in the last day, even."

"Thanks, Ashley," came Jason's voice on speaker. "I just wanted to be thorough, make sure everything was in order."

"Let me guess," Ashley continued, a smile forming on her lips, "Professor Phenomenus?"

"Yeah," Jason answered. "Tell me, while we're at it, any news?"

"Negative," she said, "but we'll keep in touch the moment we find out something."

"All right, thanks," Jason finished before his voice was replaced by the discreet hum of the bridge's various consoles.

Ashley walked over to the first console she'd checked on and went through the commands entered just a few minutes ago when she had first checked the data feeds. Again, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

Sighing, she abandoned the search and got back to what she'd been doing before Jason's interruption. As the systems ran the various usual processes, a bit slower than normal, she took a good look around her. The bridge was empty, save her and the recharging Alpha 6. The others were all currently sleeping, hoping to recuperate from their last encounters with Astronema's forces, which had cost the Rangers both the Mega Voyager and the Delta Megazord.

Ever since, knowing they weren't playing with a full deck anymore, the Rangers had realized they needed to be able to bring their best game when their Dark Specter's forces eventually struck next and their plan to do that, surprisingly yet logically, had been to rest up. Right now, Andros was working in the engine room and the others were sleeping in their quarters. As for Zhane, they had just dropped him off on KO-35, where he was to assist the rebels in retaking control of their home. In a few hours, Alpha would be fully charged and ready to take over the next shift with Carlos and a bit later, Cassie and TJ would take the relay.

The only question now was when and how Astronema would strike next. Communications from Aquitar seemed to indicate that Divatox was preparing to go up against the Alien Rangers with the clear goal of incapacitating the Space Rangers' potential allies. If such a move was made, Ashley had little doubt that they would rush to assist them, as the Aquitians had helped protect the Earth in the past.

"D.E.C.A.," Ashlely said out loud, "confirm absence of activity in Earth's vicinity since our battle with Tankenstein?"

"Absence of activity confirmed," came the voice of the ship's systems, bringing a little piece of mind to Ashley.

* * *

_Dark Fortress_

"Is everyone in place?" Astronema asked commandingly as she walked into the War Room.

"Ready and awaiting your command, Astronema," Ecliptor answered from his post, where he was busy monitoring their progress."

"And the Protocols?" she continued, a slight trace of worry to her voice, as she knew them to be a crucial part of their imminent success.

"As planned, they were activated in time and will keep running past the detonation time, in just over an hour," Ecliptor replied.

"Perfect," Astronema said, confidence returning to her voice. A few days before, Ecliptor had temporarily gained control of the Rangers Megaship. From there, he had entered the ship's mainframe and traveled through it to get to the Rangers' base on Ganymede. During his voyage, he had discreetly dropped the so-called Protocols into D.E.C.A's systems. Once activated, the Protocols rendered the ships sensors effectively blind towards any activity surrounding Earth. Whereas normally a single monster arriving on the planet would set off the Megaship's alarms, this undetectable glitch in the system had allowed her to set up all her pieces on Earth right under the Rangers' noses.

* * *

_Mariner Bay_

Chief Mitchell declaring himself ready to head the Lightspeed project was a great source of relief for Tommy. Selling the responsibility to him was the part he had been dreading most, but that had gone relatively well.

They spent the next few hours going over the documents in more details, with Tommy occasionally sharing the stories of his days as a Ranger. With the possibility that Ryan might be brought back as an emissary of the demons, Mitchell turned out to be particularly attentive to Tommy's recollections of his time as Rita's evil Green Ranger.

They also took the time to get in touch with some of the contacts Tommy had mentioned, and it was quickly decided that the fire chief would be surrendering his position as early as the next day in order to get started on the project and meet with the contacts mentioned by Tommy.

Bill Mitchell had just called in his unknowing successor as Tommy made his way out of the office. As he was exiting the station, he crossed paths with a young man walking confidently towards the entrance, a thin folder in his hand. Tommy had no idea that their paths were going to cross again in the future and that they would even wind up fighting side by side on the moon against the last vestiges of the Machine Empire.

Soon thereafter, Tommy pulled his car out into the street and started to drive. While a trip to Angel Grove hadn't initially been in the cards, considering it was only an hour away, he figured it was as good a time as any to go home and see his friends again.

_To be continued...

* * *

_

_Thanks to everyone who's been reading. Feel free to send some feedback (praise, questions, flames, emoticons, anything) my way, 'cause I really enjoy that a whole lot. The next Chapter is the last one that I've already got written (no way could I write a chapter a day ) and it marks the end of the first story arc, which I've come to refer to as One More Day. After Chapter 5, all bets are off, the fight scenes, action, drama and explosions we've all grown so fond of over the years will actually begin. So less exposition, more of everything else._

_Chapter 5 goes live tomorrow (along with a trailer-style teaser of things to come) and in the meantime, find and download the song Puddle of Grace, by Amy Jo Johnson, which goes along with the first scene in Chapter 5. If you can't find it, message me and I'll send you a download link. I can't seem to post it on this site..._

_Power down!_

_project314_


	6. Chapter 5

____

_**Chapter 5  
**_

_**One More Day, Part V  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: April 12th, 2008)_

* * *

_Paris – 60 minutes before detonation_

Paris, city of lights and romance. You'd expect it would be the perfect place for an incredibly attractive, single, and renowned gymnast to start a new life. In most cases, you'd be right, but when it comes to Kimberly Hart, it doesn't really hold true.

A few years ago, Kimberly was drafted by Zordon, along with her friends, to be a Power Ranger. Goodbye Saturdays at the mall, hello putty fights in the park. It changed her life in major ways, though she wouldn't do things any differently if given a second chance.

During her stint as the Pink Ranger, Kimberly got to develop a relationship with Tommy and that had been a great thing. And despite all the ups and downs that seemed to plague their budding romance on a nearly daily basis, they'd seemed set to make things work.

That was until Gunthar Schmidt, a world-famous gymnastics coach who was scouting in Angel Grove for fresh talent, invited her to join his team in anticipation of the Pan Global Games, the most prestigious gymnastics competition aside from the Olympic Games.

Kimberly had been torn, as accepting the offer meant leaving Angel Grove, and more specifically, Tommy and the other Rangers, in order to go train with Coach Schmidt at his Florida facilities. It was also an offer she knew she couldn't pass up.

So Kimberly passed her powers along to Kat and left for Florida. A few months later, she broke things off with Tommy and used the sorrow from the break-up to fuel and ignite her performances, having learned that, properly harvested, emotions could be a great asset.

Her dedication and talent were sufficient to help her nab a gold medal for the individual beam exercise, which had always been her greatest strength. Her team also managed to land the gold for their combined efforts. She was a breakout hit at the Games and was even offered a few endorsements that could have catapulted her into celebrity status.

But ultimately, Kimberly turned down the limelight and moved to Paris, where her mother and new stepfather lived. She hoped to step out of the spotlight and live a regular life. Her sorrow over Tommy still held two years after she'd sent him that letter and it kept inspiring her in the music she continued to write and perform in public.

Tonight, she was playing a set in a small café where she liked to hang out. The place was relatively packed yet quiet and people hung on to every lyric and note as she strummed her guitar and let her soft yet emotionally charged vocals soar. There was quite a bit of attraction in having an American singer there since that was a break from the ordinary for these people. And now, she was getting to the chorus and the last verse of her final song, feeling a familiar pang in her heart as she sang soulfully.

"_How do you feel when all the diamonds have run dry?_

_How do you feel after bittersweet goodbyes?_

_Today I found my face_

_Floating in a puddle of grace_

_A porcelain doll with cracks to mend_

_Oh momma I found a friend_

_Oh momma I found a friend_

_Oh momma I found a friend"_

Her hands and fingers continued to move effortlessly on her instrument, hitting every note, and yet her thoughts were elsewhere. She was pulled out of it when the room burst into applause following the song's final chord.

She brought the microphone a bit closer to her and smiled. "Merci beaucoup," she thanked them shyly in her still heavily accented yet quite adorable French.

Soon after, Kimberly found herself walking home, alone, guitar case in hand, crossing countless couples enjoying a perfect evening in the most romantic city on Earth.

* * *

_Aquitar – 50 minutes before detonation_

"So these are the latest readings?" Billy asked Delphine as they both studied the wall display.

"I am truly sorry, Billy," Delphine acquiesced. "I know this must disturb you deeply, particularly since you are here, in no position to help."

"I can't do this," Billy said, turning to face away from the monitor. "I can't stay here and leave them to deal with this alone. Not after everything they've done for me, all we've been through."

"Very well," Delphine replied. "I had a shuttle set aside and prepared for you in the event this happened. The other alien Rangers and I shared the opinion you might choose to depart."

"I'm sorry, Delphine," Billy said, turning to be face to face with her. "I know that I could have been useful against Divatox and her army, assuming of course that she plans on launching a full scale assault on Aquitar, but I just have to go."

"We will manage to pull through this Billy," she said. "Do not worry yourself for us. Now go."

For Billy, no further incentive was necessary and he left for his quarters to pick up some supplies before his departure.

* * *

_Kenya – 40 minutes before detonation_

"I felt it, Adam," Aisha said into the receiver of the only phone they had access to in the village, "and this wasn't Dark Specter. It was something old, trapped, waiting to be released. And I saw someone free it. There was a haze surrounding them, so I couldn't make out their identity, but they were successful. It happens soon."

"Dai Shi," Adam answered cryptically. "My old martial arts teacher, Kanoi Watanabe, was asked to make his way to the _Pai Zhuq_ Academy. Master Mao, who's in charge there, sensed something apparently similar to you, and he thinks it might be Dai Shi, an evil 10,000 years old, who's about to rise again. It all makes sense."

"So what do we do about it?" Aisha asked.

"Tanya and me are going to head for Angel Grove once she finishes up here in Los Angeles," he responded. "We'll meet up with the others and hopefully we can all get to the Academy in time to help them fend off whoever it is that's planning to free Dai Shi."

"Good luck, Adam," Aisha said, "and keep me in the loop."

"Alright," Adam answered before disconnecting.

Aisha was just putting the receiver down when she was hit by a vision so intense, it dropped her to her knees, knocking the wind out of her.

When it was over, she briefly struggled to catch her breath, which she'd held without realizing it during the vision, and then ran to her great aunt's hut.

"Ashalla?" she called out urgently as she stepped through the door.

"What is it, child?" her great aunt replied calmly, yet a certain worry was visible in her eyes.

"Ashalla," Aisha said resolutely grabbing the older woman's shoulders and looking her straight in the eyes, "get everyone out of the village and head for the caves. Now."

* * *

_California highway – 35 minutes before detonation_

"Again, I'm really sorry about last night Hayley," Tommy spoke in his cell phone. "It's just that something really major came up."

"That's fine Tommy," Hayley Sullivan replied, "you really don't need to justify yourself."

They'd met earlier in the semester, when Tommy had looked into volunteering opportunities, starting to grasp the fact that if you wanted to advance in the system, what you did outside the classroom mattered just as much or even more than what you did inside the classroom. Hayley, who was all set up to study engineering at MIT, had been in charge of orchestrating the efforts of various groups and had found him an opportunity to teach martial arts to underprivileged kids.

Tommy had loved the experience a great deal and Hayley had followed up on that by bringing up the possibility of Tommy tutoring some high school students in science, considering his newly found passion for the subject. That had been the reason the two were set to meet up the previous evening, but the special delivery from Aquitar had put those plans on ice.

"And besides," she continued, "we'll be able to discuss the tutoring gig soon enough. I'm driving down to Angel Grove myself, later today."

"Really?" Tommy asked, surprised by the coincidence. "How come?"

"That file you gave me about that friend of a friend of yours you wanted me to meet with, the prodigal inventor, wants to study engineering at MIT too, Willy?" she said in a single breath. "I'm supposed to meet with him first thing tomorrow to give him some application pointers, remember?"

"Right!" Tommy exclaimed, recalling a conversation they'd had the previous week. "So maybe we can meet up afterwards, have lunch. I can introduce you to the rest of the Angel Grove gang."

"That would be great, Tommy," she said earnestly, "but for now, I've got to go. One of the students I've been tutoring should be just about done with her last final as we speak and I'm sure she'll be calling me as soon as she gets out. But I'll call you tomorrow."

"All right. Bye Hayles," Tommy said before hanging up. Just as he put the phone down on the passenger seat, he caught a glimpse of a sign on the side of the road that indicated the distance he still had to travel before he reached Angel Grove. If he was able to keep up his current speed, he'd probably make it to town in forty five minutes.

* * *

_Angel Grove – 30 minutes before detonation_

It was rather obvious to Trini that, ever since Professor Phenomenus' ominous declaration of doom, Jason didn't seem like himself. For years now, she'd known him to be a cool and collected leader, confident yet not cocky, and always hopeful with regards to what the future held.

But now, as they sat waiting for Adele to come settle their bill, she could see that worry was eating away at him. _Once a Ranger_, she thought to herself. This wasn't unlike their first weeks spent in Switzerland at the Peace Conference, where she and Zack had both noticed the effect his stepping down from leadership had had on Jason.

It had seemed almost as if he'd expected to be a Ranger forever or that the responsibilities would always be weighing on his back. She figured that being called back upon his return to assume the mantle of the Gold Ranger must have been a relief for Jason.

Now, she saw it again, the worry, the sense that he should be doing something, anything, that maybe had he never stepped down, Zordon would never have been taken captive to begin with.

"Jason?" she whispered, pulling him out of his distant thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said, forcing a smile. Another thing about Jason was that he rarely let anyone in. But when you knew him like Trini and Zack did, you could see through the façade.

She exchanged a look with Zack and knew that he saw it too. He gave her a half smile, almost as if to say, _what do you want to do about it?_ Clearly though, they both knew that they could only go along with it.

* * *

_Aquitian space – 25 minutes before detonation_

In the emptiness of space, in a submarine-like spacecraft hovering just on the outskirts of Aquitar's atmosphere, the space pirate known as Divatox was pacing on her ship's deck, checking every few minutes for updates regarding her mission or the state of things on the planet she would soon be targeting for decimation.

While she'd been particularly irritable of late due to the fact that Dark Specter had chosen Astronema to lead his forces and go head to head with the latest team of Power Rangers, team that she herself had mostly taken out only months ago along with their precious Command Center, she couldn't deny the reality that right now, she was just aching for a fight. Any fight.

Now, as Divatox looked through the lens of the periscope, getting a mouthwatering view of the pristine planet she was soon going to turn to desolate rubble, she caught sight of a small object, a craft heading out of the planet's atmosphere, though in a direction opposite of that of the subcraft.

"Porto!" she screeched, as was her habit. Soon, her technical advisor had made his way to her, wobbling awkwardly.

"Yes, Divatox?" he asked nervously.

"What was that?" she countered, in a tone that made it crystal-clear she expected an accurate answer from him.

"Readings indicate the occupant of the shuttle is a human," he answered.

"It must be that Billy I've heard so much whining from Rita about," she said, more to herself than to Porto. By this point, Rygog, her second in command had approached the pair.

"Rygog," she said, although by now her volume and tone were under more control, "contact Astronema and let her know that Billy Cranston has left Aquitar."

* * *

_Los Angeles – 20 minutes before detonation_

His conversation with Aisha over, Adam had attempted to get back in touch with Sensei Watanabe with the hopes of warning him that their fears were much more grounded than they'd initially thought. For one person to sense something could be attributed to a bad dream, but for two people on opposite ends of the world to get the same feeling, now of all times, that wasn't something to be taken lightly.

Despite his best intentions however, Adam was unable to reach Sensei or even Cam at the Wind Ninja Academy or Sensei Omino at the Thunder Ninja Academy. He tried his mentor's cell phone next, but similarly, there was no answer. He was quite possibly just briefing his students as they made their way to the _Pai Zhuq_ Academy.

The next few minutes were spent coming up with the skeleton of a plan. Him and Tanya were about half an hour away from the others in Angel Grove. With any luck, he could round up those who would already be there. So that was Rocky, Jason, Justin, Zack and Trini. Aisha, Kat, Kimberly and Billy were all too far away to be involved, but maybe he could have Tommy join them in Angel Grove if he was lucky.

They would then make their way to the Academy, which would require nearly two hours going at a good speed and hopefully arrive early enough to help keep things under control.

Once he'd established an ideal course of action, Adam fished his phone out of the back pocket of the black jeans he wore and dialed Tommy's number. At this point, his participation was the only thing Adam was unsure of. He picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?" Tommy answered.

"Hey Tommy," Adam replied.

"Adam!" Tommy said with enthusiasm. "It's been a while man, and you will never guess where I'm headed right now."

"Angel Grove?" Adam guessed hopefully.

"Oh man," Tommy answered, having most probably caught on to the unease in his friend's tone, "there goes my nice, relaxing vacation, I guess." He took a long exhalation and said, "lay it on me bro."

Adam wasted no time in bringing Tommy up to speed, relaying him all the information he'd obtained from Sensei and Aisha so far on what was probably going to be one of the longest days of their lives.

* * *

_Los Angeles - 15 minutes before detonation_

When the autograph session was over, Tanya wasn't able to suppress a sigh of relief. True, it was great to have such a strong following right out of the gate, but at the same time, that same following and sudden fame were somewhat overwhelming.

Vincent had warned her it would be like this and that if she really wanted to pursue a career in singing, she'd have to get used to stepping under the spotlight, and staying there for long stretches of time.

She'd had fun though, and that was important. The whole event had gone off without a hitch. About halfway through, she'd gone outside to perform her single on a small stage that had been set up specifically for such occasions.

Now, as Tanya was escorted by her manager to the impromptu dressing room that had been set up for her, she recalled the feelings of euphoria that had coursed through her during that performance. Scanning the crowd as she sang, she had recognized a few of those she'd signed autographs for, including the two girls from Reefside, but she hadn't been able to catch a glimpse of Adam, who was supposed to meet with her in her dressing room when she was done so they could head back to Angel Grove for the rest of the week-end.

Once they were in her dressing room, Vincent took a few minutes to go over the agenda for the coming week, making sure Tanya would be back in time for the interviews the record label had arranged for her.

With Vincent gone, she grabbed a chilled bottle of mineral water from her counter and slowly uncapped it. Being a star had its perks, which she could definitely get used to, she thought, taking a sip as she waited for Adam to arrive.

* * *

_Paris – 10 minutes before detonation_

When she'd finally gotten home, Kimberly had been relieved to see that her mother and stepfather were out for the evening. Right now, as was usual anytime after she played a set, she wanted to be alone.

And there was no better way for her to be alone than with a container of cookies'n' cream ice cream and a romantic tearjerker. In this case, it was a new release that Trini had sent her of _Star Crossed Lovers_, starring Clark Hammer and Vivian O'Hara, one of her favorite actresses. Since they didn't get many releases of American movies in their original language in France, Kimberly was always grateful for anything her friends in Angel Grove could get to her.

By the time the previews had ended, she was set up on the darkened living room's couch, cozy under a nice comforting blanket, with a box of tissues ready at her side and her ice cream in her hands. The swelling of strings that accompanied the movie's opening credits caught her full attention even as she dug into the cookies'n'cream with her spoon, oblivious to the faint gurgling noises coming from outside the apartment.

* * *

_Angel Grove – 8 minutes before detonation_

"Are you sure about this, Professor?" Bulk asked as he and Skull got out of the van they'd parked on the side of the road.

"Absolutely," Phenomenus answered, looking at the readings his scanner gave him. "One of the alien signatures I detected is in this area and hasn't moved in the last hour. Now be quiet and open your eyes."

"It's just trees," Skull stated. "We're lounging a forest."

"Just trees, huh?" the Professor replied. "Perhaps to the untrained eye, but a true scientist can see what they really are."

"Aliens?" Bulk asked, gripping the sleeve of the Professor's lab coat.

"No," Phenomenus answered, his voice now a whisper, as he pointed straight ahead, "cover."

"Uh, Bulkie," Skull now said, his voice also dropping in volume, "is that who I think it is?"

"Get down," Bulk said, pulling the Professor down with him as he too recognized the figure standing amidst a cluster of trees, approximately fifty yards away. Luckily for them, they hadn't been spotted. "What now, Professor?"

"We stay hidden and find out what it's up to," he said as if it was obvious. "What else?"

* * *

_Kenya – 6 minutes before detonation_

Aisha stood alone in the middle of the deserted village. Luckily, Ashalla had wasted no time in gathering the tribesmen, sending some of the older children running to get word to those who were working in the fields to make their way immediately to the caves as well. Fifteen minutes ago, they had all left.

As her thoughts went back to the visions, Aisha saw mayhem. The bodies of the dead and the injured were strewn across the village, while those still standing were running scared, screaming and crying, desperate to find out their loved ones were okay. She also sensed the immediacy of it all.

"I know you're out there!" she called out into the open. Still, all she could hear now was the rustling of the wind. But she knew better than to solely trust her basic senses.

"What are you waiting for?" she screamed, taunting. "You want me? Come and get me!"

"Well," a familiar voice said behind her after a few more moments of silence, causing her to turn on her heels and adopt a fighting stance, "it seems you really do have the sight and that means I've got the biggest prize in my crosshairs. I was supposed to wait another five minutes before doing this, but what the hell. Get her!"

Her adversary's underlings rushed her at once, and she wasted little time jumping in the fray, intent on causing as much damage as possible before they eventually got the best of her.

* * *

_London – 4 minutes before detonation_

If Kat had thought the academy was empty when she started her session, she was certain about it by the time she was ready to call it a night. Time had sped by incredibly fast as she spent easily three hours in the studio, going through her end of term dance presentation in excruciating detail, hoping to perfect every aspect of it, in time for her final evaluation the next week. After all, that performance would determine whether she got invited to stay another year and there would also be some dance directors in assistance, and she hoped to impress them.

By this point, Kat felt physically drained, although she was also incredibly pleased with the progress she'd made over the course of the evening. A few more sessions like this and she knew she'd be set.

She walked over to the bench where she'd left her belongings. She got her sneakers on and grabbed the pink wool sweater that lay by her bag. She slipped it on over her work-out top and took a quick look out the window, frowning at the apparent mixture of rain and fog outside.

"Go figure," she whispered to herself as she turned away from the window and started to walk to the sound system to retrieve her mix tape.

* * *

_Angel Grove – 3 minutes before detonation_

"Nice," Rocky called out as Justin back flipped out of reach of a spin kick. They'd ended the theoretical aspect of the lesson a good half hour ago and had been sparring ever since, with Justin trying to incorporate the new moves he'd learned whenever he saw an opening.

Before Rocky even had a chance to get his feet back on the ground, Justin did a forward roll that placed him just close enough to swipe Rocky off his feet, landing the older teen on his back. Instants later, Justin was standing again, offering his friend a hand.

"Sorry about that, Rocky," Justin said, helping him up.

"That's okay," Rocky answered, stretching his back. "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, right?" He glanced at the wall clock. "Anyways, Jason and the others should be here any minute. Want to help me bring all the staffs and wooden swords her back to the storage room?"

"Sure," Justin said before they got to work.

* * *

_Los Angeles – 2 minutes before detonation_

After his call to Tommy, Adam had headed off to get his car. It turned out that anytime an autograph session took place at Empire Records, it became virtually impossible to find decent parking in the vicinity, so he'd wound up walking ten minutes just to get to it.

He'd had little trouble finding a space now that the session was over as the fans had dissipated and the street was no longer off limits to cars.

Making his way to the store entrance, Adam was greeted by Vincent Nova, who gave an employee directions to let him in.

"That seemed pretty successful," Adam said, genuinely happy for his friend.

"What can I say?" Nova replied. "The fans love her, Adam."

"So, is she ready?" Adam asked, not wanting to waste too much time on small talk.

"She should be," Vincent answered, looking at his watch. "I'll take you to her room."

They followed one of the store staff to a door next to which there was a numeric keypad over which a small red bulb shone. The employee quickly entered a sequence, clearly expecting the green bulb over the dial to turn on, indicating the door was unlocked. Instead, the red light blinked once and remained lit. He tried to push the door open with no success.

"That's weird," the employee said. He reentered the sequence a second time but the results were the same. He then turned to Adam and Vincent, looking apologetic. "I'm really sorry," he began, "Toby, the manager, he must have changed the code for some reason. I'll go get him and be right back."

He left and Vincent approached the thick steel door. In the top right-hand area of it was a small window which could let you see into the hallway that led to the stockroom and the room where Tanya was waiting. "Someone just got out of the stockroom, but I can't make out who it is because of the fried light bulb in the hallway," he stated to Adam. "Maybe they can open this door from the inside." He knocked on the door loud enough for the sound to carry through the steel.

A few seconds later, Adam heard Vincent gasp. "Man that's a creepy costume this dude's wearing."

_Costume?_ Adam thought, moving behind Vincent to try and get a view through the window.

"That's no costume!" Adam exclaimed, alarm in his voice as he saw the thing that had stepped into the light. He pushed the other man out of the way and rammed himself into the door. It held.

* * *

_Angel Grove - 1 minute before detonation_

"So you're not convinced?" Tommy had just asked Jason.

"I know it's weird, Tommy, but I'm not," Jason answered as he kept pace with Zack and Trini. They'd left the Surf Spot a short while ago and were just over a minute away from the dojo, where they were supposed to meet up with Justin and Rocky.

"I know the Megaship's sensors would have detected anything entering Earth's atmosphere," he continued, "but I just can't shake the feeling that Professor Phenomenus was on to something. Especially now that you told me Adam called you with the news that someone is going to try to release this Dai Shi guy."

"I guess that as far as coincidences go, this one's a bit too convenient," Tommy conceded.

"So Dark Specter's end game is about to begin and it involves freeing Dai Shi," Jason concluded, piecing together everything they'd found out so far.

"And so that makes ensuring he stays captive our number one priority," Tommy said.

"Alright," Jason replied as they neared the dojo, with Zack and Trini now a half-dozen paces ahead of him. "We'll be at the dojo. You get here, we'll start putting a plan together and then we'll wait for Adam and Tanya before we -."

"Damn it!" Tommy cursed out loud, interrupting Jason, before the sound of tires skidding following a sharp turn and what sounded like an explosion burst through the receiver, catching Jason off guard and making him momentarily pull his phone away from his ear. Bringing it close again, he heard nothing but silence for a moment and then the sound of a crash followed by that of metal screeching on asphalt.

"Tommy!" he called out in a tone that made the others stop in their tracks and turn towards him, their faces suddenly worried and questioning.

* * *

_Somewhere_

For the last twenty four hours, the device had counted down. All that was leading to this moment, the moment when it would go off, taking out its intended targets and anyone who happened to be in its vicinity.

As it had been expected, no one had noticed its presence, and at this point, it honestly didn't matter anymore.

00:00:05

00:00:04

00:00:03

00:00:02

00:00:01

00:00:00

* * *

_The Dark Fortress_

"It is done, my princess," Ecliptor announced, confirming that the detonator had gone off without a hitch and that everything was going according to plan.

Astronema could only smile as she surveyed the damage caused by the device on the wall monitor of her war room. She had fired the opening salvo, and by the end of the coming hour, the ex-Rangers would no longer pose a threat to her.

_To be continued...

* * *

_

_Author's note: The song Kimberly sings in the opening scene of this chapter is called Puddle of Grace. She sang it initially on Felicity, as Julie Emrick, her character on that show. The song is on the show's first soundtrack and also on Amy Jo Johnson's website._

_So that marks the end of the first arc, One More Day. Chapter 6 starts out the second arc, that I've tentatively named Divided We Stand, United We Fall. I guarantee a crazy ride to all those who stick with me throughout this. And for fans of later seasons, we will see some other known characters take central roles in future arcs, so hang in there. Send me any questions, requests, theories, thoughts or suggestions you might have. It's my birthday tomorrow (June 4th) and feedback would be the best present y'all could give me. Thanks! :) _

_Power down!_

_project314_

_P.S.: Here's a teaser I made in anticipation of the second arc. It reaches through to the end of the story, but I had a lot of fun coming up with it, hearing the voiceover and seeing the images in my head. Enjoy!

* * *

_**Voiceover as text appears simultaneously on black screen(VO): For years they protected us**

Tommy: It's morphin' time! White Ranger power!  
Adam: Black Ranger power!  
Kat: Pink Ranger power!  
Billy: Blue Ranger power!  
Aisha: Yellow Ranger power!  
Rocky: Red Ranger power!

**Using their powers to fight the forces of evil**

Cut to Jason, morphed as the Red Ranger, hand raised in the air as he calls out: "We need Thunderzord power, now!"

**And although they have all moved on to new lives**

Cut to Tanya, signing autographs at Empire Records. Cut to Jason, Zack & Trini hanging out at the Surf Spot.

**They are always ready to answer the call**

Cut to Adam fighting by Carlos' side in _Always a Chance_. Cut to Justin coming to the Space Rangers' aid in _True Blue to the Rescue_.

**Now, the greatest battle of all time is looming on the horizon**

Cut to a view of Astronema addressing her armies of Quantrons and then cut to swarms of velocifighters heading straight for Earth in _Countdown to Destruction, Part I_

**And their - time - is - up**

Cut to a detonator counting down its final seconds before flashing twice at 00:00 and exploding.

**This June**

Cut to Jason holding his cellphone to his ear, the sound of metal screeching against asphalt coming through. "Tommy!" he calls into it in a tone that makes Zack and Trini stop in their tracks and turn towards him, their faces worried and questioning.

**Their darkest hour is about to begin**

Cut to Kimberly running into her bedroom and slamming the door shut, locking it from the inside. She rushes to the antique chest at the foot of her bed, opens it, empties out all the clothing inside and removes its false bottom. She reaches in and when she stands back up, she holds her Power Bow tightly in her grip.

**And it will take everything they have to give**

Cut to an unmorphed Jason, standing between the Knasty Knight and the Photomare monster. As the Knight swings his sword, Jason rolls under. He gets to his feet and uses the Knight's momentum to spin him around, wresting his sword from the monster's hand. He then lunges for Photomare and slashes the sword down with all his strength.

**Just to survive**

Cut to a headstone. As we slowly pan out, we see Adam, dressed in black, walk past it towards a large monument.

_Power Rangers: Countdown. The saga continues this June..._


	7. Chapter 6

____

_**Chapter 6  
**_

_**Divided We Stand, United We Fall, Part I  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: June 16th, 2008)_

* * *

_Africa_

Things were not looking good for Aisha at that moment and she realized it. Even though she was holding her own for the time being, she knew that the heat remnants from the setting sun and the exhaustion that slowly invaded every part of her body would eventually cause her to slip up and that when that mistake came, it could prove fatal.

Still, she kept on fighting, throwing kicks and punches, rolling, somersaulting and leaping out of range of attacks. She stayed focused on her surroundings, constantly scanning around her to see where the next attacks would come from. The air was thick with dust from the frenzied action and the ground was littered with the black feathers of her attackers.

"Is that all you've got, bonehead?" she called out during a brief pause in the fighting as she caught a glimpse of the one in charge of the attack.

"Sticks and stones, sweetheart," Rito Revolto answered from his spot outside of the battle's range. Rita Repulsa's skeletal brother was just standing there, content to watch on as his Tengas went head to head against Aisha, ready to jump into the fray if she succeeded in taking them all out. "You're outnumbered and outmatched. Might want to just give up and let me take you in."

While her immediate reflex was to come up with a sarcastic retort that would almost doubtlessly go right over Rito's head, Aisha hesitated, her mind processing her current predicament along with her knowledge of what was meant to come. Surely if she sustained a serious injury in the course of the current fight, none of it would come to pass.

Before the Tengas still standing could rush her again, Aisha raised her arms to keep them at bay and show she was done, relaxing her stance and looking Rito right in his hollow black eyes. "Alright, I surrender. Just leave this place and my tribe alone."

Getting their cue from Rito, the Tengas approached her and she let herself relax as much as possible.

"I caught the seer," Rito bragged excitedly as the Tengas secured Aisha. "Ed's not gonna believe that one."

Soon, they all shimmered out of sight.

* * *

_Angel Grove_

"Oh, God," Bulk had whispered helplessly as the car had sailed through the air.

For a few minutes, they had been keeping a watchful eye on an alien quite familiar to Skull and himself, a warrior who went by the name of Goldar. A few years ago, when Goldar and Rito Revolto had suffered a severe case of amnesia, they had adopted Bulk and Skull as their new family, doing everything from cleaning to maintenance work and other assorted tasks for the pair, having forgotten about their evil ways. Unfortunately, their memories were eventually returned, and they were now back to their old evil tricks.

There'd been little doubt in Bulk's mind that Goldar's allegiances hadn't changed when the golden armored being had jumped from his hiding spot, landing on the road with his sword hanging by his side. What had surprised him, however, had been the identity of the individual Goldar had been waiting for.

Coming in their direction on the road, had been a car he would have recognized anywhere. It belonged to Tommy Oliver, an old classmate from Angel Grove High.

What had happened next had been a blur. A projectile of fiery energy had shot out of Goldar's sword, towards the car. Tommy had attempted to dodge it, swerving to the left and off the road, but just as the car had been skidding and turning on the concrete, the fireball had slammed into the lower portion of the passenger side.

With the vehicle's velocity still high, the hit had had the effect of flipping it through the air.

Now, time slowed to a crawl as it reached the peak of its ark, spinning. What felt like an eternity later, it crashed onto its hood. The momentum it had gained kept it moving, metal screeching across the concrete, sparks flying. It finally came to a rest, inches away from Goldar, whose laughter was loud and victorious.

"One down!" he bellowed, laughing. Then, he was gone.

"Come on!" Bulk called to the others as he ran towards the upturned car. Tendrils of smoke snaked out of the hood and a small pool of gas had started to form on the ground, the integrity of the car's tank having been compromised during the accident.

Skull outran them both and got to the car first. By the time they reached him, he'd been able to properly assess the situation. Having been trained to react promptly in such situations during their time with the Junior Police, they needed only to exchange a glance to know how they'd handle this.

Bulk knelt down by the driver's side of the car. The side window had shattered and he had easy access to Tommy. He held him in his seat as Skull crawled in through the passenger window and unbuckled his belt.

"Hurry up, boys!" Professor Phenomenus called out anxiously. "I can see some flames forming."

They carefully brought Tommy down, and then Bulk grabbed his arms and pulled him completely out of the car. Skull and Phenomenus each took hold of one of Tommy's legs and they started to run.

When the car blew up, they were fortunate enough to be out of the reach of the blast. As Bulk and the professor tended to an unconscious Tommy, Skull sprinted through the woods to get to their van.

* * *

_Los Angeles_

"Tanya!" Adam screamed, pounding on the locked door. The Piranhatron that stood in the hallway had momentarily turned in his direction when the pounding had begun, cocking its head sideways when it recognized Adam, almost as if to mock him. Now, it was heading towards Tanya's dressing room and it had been joined by three more of its kind.

"She won't hear you Adam," Vincent Nova told him. "Not unless she steps out in that hallway, and I'm guessing we don't want that."

"Someone unlock this door now!" Adam called out, even as Toby, the manager ran in their direction, following the employee who had been with them before.

"Alright," Toby said, pushing past them. He entered a combination on the keypad. The red bulb stayed lit. He tried to push the door, thinking it might just be a problem with the bulb, but he had no luck.

Toby stepped back and fished out a set of keys from his pocket. It held nearly two dozen keys, including quite a few that looked alike. Adam looked through the window and saw the Piranhatron was just about to open Tanya's door, then he turned his attention to Toby, seeing the man really didn't seem certain about which key to try.

Adam turned toward the door and shoved Toby and Vincent to the side. He closed his eyes and focused all his thoughts and the adrenaline that raced through his body. His foot shot forward in a kick aimed at the door knob, and upon impact, it shot right through the steel door.

That seemed to do the trick as the door then swung open. Adam rushed through, followed by Vincent. He called out a warning to Tanya even as the first Piranhatron opened the door. He shouldn't have worried. She immediately reacted when she saw it, landing a strong kick squarely in its chest. It hadn't even hit the floor before she was onto the next one.

In the meantime, Adam had reached the one nearest him and rammed it headfirst into the wall of the dimly lit hallway. Using his momentum, he spun the Piranhatron and launched it in the direction of the last one standing, watching as they both went down in a tangle of limbs. Then, the four of them disappeared in a splash of water.

"Tanya, you okay?" Vincent asked, coming up around Adam to stand by her side.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered, though she was visibly shaken.

"What the hell was that?" Toby queried, having joined the trio in the hallway.

"I don't know," Adam replied. _Piranhatrons, Dai Shi, Dark Specter, this doesn't add up anymore_, he thought to himself.

* * *

_Paris_

Although she had indeed initially signed on for an epically dramatic evening, Kimberly had never expected that she would wind up playing the lead role in it.

Just as the first fortuitous encounter between the movie's main characters was about to begin, she became aware of a strange yet familiar sound coming from outside her parents' apartment.

She picked up the remote from the coffee table in front of her and turned off the television, plunging the room in darkness._ It can't be_, she thought to herself as she heard a loudening gurgling noise, just before the front door was knocked down, splintering at its hinges.

Kimberly, wasting little time, threw off the blanket that covered her and dropped everything she held to the floor. She jumped off the couch and landed near the broken door, facing the empty frame that had held it and through which a familiar figure now stepped, bathed in the light seeping in from the outside hallway.

"Scorpina," she said, her voice wavering slightly as she assessed her situation. Although her visitor bore human features, Kimberly knew for a fact that the presence of Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd's occasional emissary could only mean serious trouble.

That especially held true considering the company she now held. When Zedd had arrived on the scene and exiled Rita, he had brought with him an army of what she and her friends had commonly referred to as Z-Putties, clay based foot soldiers that he frequently sent down to Earth to soften the Rangers up before a monster attack.

"What are you doing here?" Kimberly asked, counting the half-dozen Putties that were now inside and flanking their leader, their faces even more sinister and unsettling in the almost complete darkness of the apartment. Straining her neck to the side, she could see more were waiting outside, ready to come in.

"I'm here to indulge in a cheese and wine tasting, Pink Ranger," Scorpina answered, sarcasm dripping in her voice. She slowly raised the sword in her hand, until it pointed towards Kimberly. "What do you think?"

Almost instinctively, Kimberly whirled into a spin kick that connected with Scorpina's sword, sending it crashing away into a corner of the living room. Her enemy and her goons temporarily distracted and off their guard, she discreetly slipped out of the living room, taking full advantage of the cover the darkness provided her with.

"What are you waiting for? Get her!" she heard Scorpina order as she ran up the stairs to the second floor of their two storey apartment, trying to put as much distance as possible between herself and her attackers in order to formulate some kind of a cohesive plan.

So far, the lack of lighting had played in her favor, slowing down the Putties and Scorpina. As for her, she had instinctively made her way to her room in record time.

She ran inside and flipped a switch on the wall, bathing the room in the soft glow of the lamp that sat on her night table. She locked the door and rushed to a tall loaded bookcase that stood nearby, knocking it down to block the door and offer a bit more resistance to the coming assault.

With that done, Kimberly pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket and selected a number in her speed-dial list. She put the phone to her ear and waited.

_Come on Tommy, pick up_, she thought until an automated voice told her the line was out of service.

She disconnected the call and tried a different number, hoping for a better outcome.

"Hi," a voice said after the fourth ring, "you've reached Jason. Please leave a mess-"

Kimberly ended the call and slipped the phone back in her pocket. By this point, she was kneeling by the antique chest at the foot of her bed and so she raised its lid. She emptied out its contents, unceremoniously tossing aside the sweaters and dresses in it, and removed the chest's false bottom.

Sighing with partial relief, Kimberly reached into the chest. When her tenure as the Pink Ranger had ended, she had transferred her Power Coin, along with her powers, to Kat, leaving that life behind seemingly forever. A few months later, when the team's powers had been upgraded thanks to the Zeo crystal, a lot of their previous technology had become obsolete, and the team had decided to send her a little something to remember her morphing days by. And now, as stood up, holding the Power Bow tightly in her grip, Kimberly couldn't hold back a determined smile.

"Come and get me," she whispered confidently even as the Putties started to pound on the locked door.

* * *

_Angel Grove_

It was the sound of his cell phone's ring tone that pulled Jason back to reality. His eyes snapped open and he realized he was lying facedown on the grass. For a moment, he wondered where he was, then it all came rushing at him.

He'd been on the phone with Tommy, and then something had gone wrong on the other end of the line. Zack and Trini had turned toward him. They'd been half a dozen feet from the dojo. He'd told them something had happened to Tommy. And then, there'd been a blinding light inside the building, a thunderous crash, scalding air and shards of glass enveloping him as his body lost contact with the ground, thrown back like a rag doll. The landing must have rendered him unconscious.

Jason pushed himself to his knees and realized he couldn't have been out more than a few minutes, as people were only now starting to arrive on the scene. He caught a glimpse of the dojo, the inside of which was littered with smoking debris.

Off to his right, he saw a man helping Zack to his feet. His friend seemed relatively unharmed, though when he turned around, Jason could see the back of Zack's black shirt hadn't fared too well against the glass shards that had burst outward with the explosion.

When Zack turned in his direction, they exchanged a knowing look, confirming that apart from mostly superficial cuts and bruises, they were both fine. Jason then saw his friend's gaze settle on a point behind him, alarm replacing the usual worry-free look on his face.

As Jason finally stood, he turned, sparing a glance at the wreckage that was the dojo, remembering that Rocky and Justin had been inside when the place had gone up. He then let his gaze travel to the spot Zack had been looking at and a wave of nausea washed over him.

"God, no," he whispered even as Zack ran right past him and the wail of distant sirens pierced the deafening silence. "Trini…"

_To be continued...

* * *

_

_Hope you enjoyed reading this latest chapter as much as I did writing it. More morphin' goodness to come along with plenty of surprises and reveals. Hit me up with a review or a message or a prediction, and let me know what you want to see in the future of this story because as epic as it's gonna be, there's always gonna be room for more..._

_Power down!_

_project314_


	8. Chapter 7

____

_**Chapter 7  
**_

_**Divided We Stand, United We Fall, Part II  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: September 29th, 2008)_

* * *

_Angel Grove_

When Jason's eyes finally found Trini, the relief he had felt upon realizing Zack was fine evaporated into nothing. His friend lay still on the ground, pinned down at the waist by a bench that had been inside the dojo. Her face was turned in his direction and through stray strands of hair, he could see blood trickling down from her hairline down her forehead.

When the dojo had gone off, Trini had been the one standing closest to it, only a few feet from the door. It stood to reason that physically, she'd have felt the effects of the explosion more than them. That, combined with her lesser weight, had resulted in her being thrown farther from the building than Zack and he had.

Putting aside any considerations as to how she'd gotten this far, Jason broke into a run, any aches and pain forgotten, for fear as to Trini's situation. When he reached her, Zack was already down on one knee, checking for a pulse.

"Is she okay?" Jason asked, noticing up close that Trini had some minor burns on her forearms and tears in her clothing similar to those he'd noticed on Zack's.

"Heartbeat's fine," Zack said, relieved as he looked up at Jason. "She just must have gone down harder than us."

Jason nodded, though his uncertainty with regards to their other friends kept him from feeling better. He stepped up to the higher end of the bench that was holding Trini down and lifted. While its weight would normally be relatively easy to take for him, in his current state, he felt his muscles strain from the effort.

Zack quickly yet carefully pulled Trini free, setting her down gently on her back a few feet away even as Jason lowered the bench on the grass.

"Tommy? The dojo? Looks like someone's got it in for us, Jase," Zack said, leaving Trini's side.

"Dark Specter thinks we can interfere with his plans," Jason realized. "That means - "

"Way ahead of you, bro," Zack cut him off, his eyes locking with Jason's.

"Be careful, Zack," Jason warned. His friend nodded once, resolutely, and ran off.

Jason cast a glance in Trini's direction and saw that she was still out, though the blood loss seemed to have slowed. By now, an ambulance and a fire truck had arrived and paramedics were running in their direction with a gurney while firemen were approaching the dojo.

"Are you okay?" one of the paramedics asked him, breaking off from the other two who headed straight for Trini.

"Just a little rattled," Jason answered, "but I'll be fine. My friend…"

"She looks like she's going to pull through," the paramedic pointed to his colleagues, who'd managed to rouse Trini from her state of unconsciousness with some smelling salts. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"We were just about to go inside to meet up with our friends," Jason explained. "The next thing I remember is waking up."

"Friends?" the paramedic asked.

"Yeah, two of them," Jason confirmed.

"Don't go anywhere," the paramedic said before he rushed towards the firemen to relay the information.

By now, Trini was sitting up and her cuts and burns were being looked over. Jason walked over to her and knelt by her side, knowing that the only thing he could do while they waited for news on Rocky, Justin and Tommy was hope for a miracle.

_

* * *

Paris_

At first, there had been the sound of frames and various trinkets and artifacts crashing on the floor as the Putties clumsily maneuvered the darkened hallway in a frenzy, trying to find her. While it had given her a good indication of where they were, Kimberly couldn't help but wince every time she heard the distinctive shattering sounds. Her mother and stepdad would positively freak out when they came back.

Amidst the sounds of what she now associated with a lifetime grounding, she had also made out tentative pounding as the Putties apparently checked every door they were coming across.

By the time they had reached hers, she had been standing ready, holding her Power Bow, a dozen arrows strewn about on her bed, along with her communicator.

The thumping became more insistent as the Putties realized something was blocking the door from the inside. Though the door was solid and the bookcase wasn't budging, Kimberly could see that with each blow, it seemed to wince and creak more a bit more, confirming to her that it wouldn't stand strong for much longer.

Even as she tried to plan her next move, Kimberly pocketed her communicator and turned off the lamp, casting the room in darkness. Scorpina and the Putties' lack of familiarity with their surroundings was an advantage she planned to exploit fully.

Her eyes quickly adjusted and she placed herself by her bed, her arrows within reach. She picked one up and positioned herself appropriately, aiming towards the door.

Finally, a fist broke through and the hole it made quickly became wider as arms shot through, managing to take a bit more of the door away each time.

It wasn't long before it was the size of a basketball, and through it, she could make out the chest of the Putty closest to the door.

"Please let this work," she whispered, pulling the string as far back as possible before letting go.

* * *

_London_

The arrow soared through the air, straight on its course, homing in on its intended target. It closed the distance quickly, emitting what seemed like a high pitched whistling that almost drowned out the clanking of footfalls. In its current trajectory, it was only a matter of seconds before the arrow head would pierce flesh and tear through lungs.

At the last possible instant, Kat found herself reaching a left turn in the hallway she was racing down. She didn't realize how close the arrow was from swiftly ending her life as her left foot landed at an angle that allowed her to veer into the empty hall. Even as the rest of her body slowly started to turn and unknowingly reorient itself away from the approaching projectile, she felt a searing pain in her right arm as the arrow ripped through the sleeve of her sweater and sliced the side of her upper arm. She cried out, both from the pain and the surprise as her left hand reflexively shot up to her cover her wound, but kept running, even as the arrow continued on its course, lodging itself deeply into a wall, the top layers of which exploded in a cloud of plaster dust.

* * *

"I cannot believe you missed that shot, darling," Prince Gasket said as the former Pink Zeo Ranger rounded the corner. He walked regally down the hallway, his wife by his side and a platoon of Cogs, soldiers of the Machine Empire, following behind them.

"I never miss," Princess Archerina stated sweetly as another arrow materialized in her free hand. "Now let us end this," she continued, breaking into a run, her bow held out horizontally in front of her in her extended left hand.

"You heard her, Cogs," Gasket intoned with authority as he started after her.

* * *

Despite her knowledge that she was temporarily out of Archerina's sights, Kat kept pouring on the speed as she ran down another deserted hallway, passing the open doors of empty studios, knowing that no one would be able to help her through this. The muscles in her already strained legs were burning up as she pushed them further beyond their limits. Sweat was beading down her face and what she imagined could only be blood was seeping from the deep cut in her arm through the fingers of her left hand.

It wasn't long before she heard the quickening footfalls of the warriors of the Machine Empire. Digging into herself to find the strength and the energy she'd need to survive the night, Kat accelerated and was rewarded when she rounded one last corner to find herself in a final hallway, at the end of which stood a pair of doors leading outside. A smile barely had the time to form on her lips when another section of wall exploded behind her.

"There's no escaping us, Kat…" she heard Archerina call out in a singsong voice as the footfalls slowed.

Kat had almost reached the doors when she realized they had been chained together from the inside. Hoping for the best, she kept her momentum and launched herself at them, but they barely budged. Gasket and Archerina had set her up, sealing all exits.

Recovering quickly, Kat turned away from the door. From the slowing speed of the clanking, it appeared Archerina and Gasket were satisfied she was trapped and had decided to prolong this agonizing game of cat and mouse for their twisted pleasure.

She scanned the walls at her side and her attention went to the glass fire emergency case embedded into the right wall a dozen feet away. Kat ran to it and saw it contained a fire extinguisher and an ax. She stood with her back to it and removed her left hand from her cut. She then shoved her covered left elbow into the thin sheet of glass, shattering it with ease.

Soon, she was swinging the ax down toward the chains, which gave out after her second attempt. By the time Gasket and Archerina finally marched into the hallway, confident in their impending victory, she was running away from the Academy, the rain cooling her down. She was free. For now.

* * *

_Angel Grove_

Angel Grove's beaches were never too busy at this time of year. The inauguration of summer was as imminent as the approaching end of the school year. In another week and a half, it would be bustling with people, but for the time being, its only denizens were the few crabs aimlessly skittering across the shore.

The peaceful nature scene was soon interrupted when three beings shimmered into existence in a more secluded section of the beach, where mysterious caves were hidden.

The one of them that held what appeared to be a scroll took the lead, stepping into the darkness, followed by its two companions. The scroll contained directions to a mystical hot spot that would allow them to travel to a place hidden from humanity, the directions to which were otherwise unobtainable. In this place, perhaps they would find what they needed to ensure Dark Specter's takeover of the universe and the ultimate destruction of Earth.

* * *

"Had we made it just a few minutes earlier," Trini began as a paramedic dabbed at the cut on her forehead with a white towel. She didn't need to finish that sentence, as the same thought had gone through Jason's mind a number of times already. He gave her hand a small squeeze, grateful that Zack, Trini and he had been fortunate enough to be outside the dojo.

"We were supposed to be there, with Rocky and Justin, weren't we?" she whispered to him as she gazed upwards at the tendrils of smoke snaking their way up and away from the dojo, the tone of her voice low enough that the young man tending to her wouldn't hear her. "Dark Specter wants us dead, Jason."

"But he screwed up, Trini, and we're alive," Jason murmured in her ear. By then, the paramedic had stopped cleaning the cut on her forehead and was rummaging through his medical supplies. Trini lowered her head slightly towards Jason, bringing it to a rest on his shoulder.

"Tell that to Justin and Rocky," she said, choking up, feeling a burn in her eyes as they watered up. "The dojo is totaled. There's no way they could have survived that."

"They're Rangers," Jason offered. "We survive. It's what we do."

At that moment, a sudden flurry of activity erupted around the dojo and firefighters and paramedics alike all seemed to converge on the same spot. Even amidst all the uniforms, Jason was able to recognize the man at the source of the commotion. It was Rocky.

His friend had just made his way outside, the fireman who'd found him holding an oxygen mask to his face and a fireproof blanket over his head and back. At first glance, he seemed unscathed, his face barely darkened by the smoke and ashes floating around, the top of his karate gi relatively intact.

Rocky shrugged off the mask and blanket and continued moving forward, seemingly pushing through the throngs of people who were in his way, wanting to keep control of the situation. Jason felt Trini's grip on his hand tighten more even as he helped her stand.

It seemed the people around him got the message as well, as they quickly gave him space. As the small crowd dissipated, Jason and Trini walked in their friend's direction. Their pace accelerated when they saw Rocky was carrying Justin in his arms. The boy wasn't moving.

"Rocky!" Trini called out, her voice coarse and raspy from the smoke, prompting him to cast a look in their direction. There was despair and panic in his eyes, for the briefest of moments as his brave and confident façade dropped, showing a yearning for the comfort and reassurance of his friends' presence.

By the time they reached him, he had carefully set Justin down on a stretcher that had been rushed in his direction. The paramedic that had brought it quickly checked for a pulse.

"He's alive," the emergency worker announced, "he's unconscious, but he should be fine."

Rocky inhaled and exhaled deeply, struggling to keep his emotions in check, relieved even though his eyes were welling up. Trini let go of Jason's hand and stepped toward their friend, holding him tightly in her arms.

Jason cast a glance in Justin's direction and saw that an oxygen mask had been strapped to the boy's face. Physically, much like Rocky, he seemed fine.

"Rocky," he said, turning to face him, "what happened?" Trini let go of him and took a step back so he'd be able to speak to them.

"After my last class, Justin and I had a training session," Rocky started to explain, looking towards the boy, who seemed to be breathing in a steady rhythm. "Figured we'd spar a bit until you, Trini and Zack got here." Suddenly, Rocky seemed to freeze, looking around worriedly. "Where's Zack?"

"He's okay," Trini cut in. "He wasn't hurt too badly."

Apparently satisfied by Trini's answer, Rocky returned to the events of that afternoon. "We finished up a few minutes before you guys were supposed to arrive. I asked Justin to help me bring the staffs and wooden swords we used during class in the storage room. So we brought it all there and were replacing them."

Rocky paused for a moment, passed his hand through his hair, wincing as it touched the back of his head. "I must have been knocked out then."

"By who?" Jason asked.

"No one," Rocky answered. "At least, I don't think so. You know how, when we go in the storage room, in the middle, there's that massive locked cabinet where we keep all the more dangerous weapons?" Jason and Trini both nodded.

"I think that when whatever happened actually happened, the force of it caused the cabinet to fall over backwards, only it didn't completely fall over because the wall was too close. It made something like an inclined shelter. It's got to be what knocked me out but it also seems to have shielded us both from all the stuff that blasted through that door. I found Justin unconscious next to me when I came to."

"Thank God you guys are fine," Trini said. "I just hope everyone else is too."

"What do you mean?" Rocky asked, confused by the statement.

"We think something's happened to Tommy. Trini will fill you in on your way to the hospital," Jason answered, as he walked to the ambulance where Justin was being loaded.

"Why don't we all go with Justin?" Rocky asked.

"It's just safer this way," Trini said to him, walking towards another ambulance. "Let's go."

* * *

_The Dark Fortress_

"As expected," Ecliptor stated, "news of your orders dispatching Count Dregon to Xybria appear to have reached the Masked Rider, prompting him to leave Earth in order to protect the Xybrians' home world from his uncle."

"Good," Astronema answered simply. Since the detonator's explosion at the veteran Rangers' dojo, he'd been busy checking in with Dark Specter's various generals, obtaining the latest updates with regards to their missions.

Divatox, the Machine Empire and Zedd and Rita were all in place, waiting for orders they expected would come from Dark Specter himself. She looked forward to the reactions that would come out of the knowledge that she was in charge.

As to the other plans she had put in motion to cripple the veteran Rangers of Earth, things seemed to be going according to plan. Aside from one update she had yet to receive, it seemed that, following her preemptive strike, all her targets were either captured, crippled or on the run.

"Advise Dark Specter we'll soon be ready and that I'll be meeting him at his convenience to receive his orders," Astronema added, tapping her index finger on the cool surface of the table she sat behind.

Before Ecliptor could leave the war room to carry out his latest orders, another of Astronema's lackeys entered the room. Nephew of the space pirate Divatox, Elgar had been assigned by Dark Specter to serve Astronema, and although he often exasperated her, she had to admit to taking great satisfaction from the greater frustration most assuredly felt by Divatox, who had lost the bumbling yet loyal soldier to her greatest rival.

"You've contacted him, Elgar?" Astronema asked, expectantly.

"My uncle, General Havoc, at your service," he announced, flicking a switch on the wall, turning on a monitor on which Havoc appeared, standing with a half-dozen Chromites behind him in a darkened room, holding his sword in his right hand, its blade resting in his left palm.

"Astronema," he said by way of greeting, lowering his head slightly.

"What news do you have for me, Havoc?" she asked, leaning forward, anxious to hear more favorable news.

"As planned," Havoc stated, "the target has been acquired and remains breathing. The switch was a success."

"Perfect," she answered, a small smile forming on her lips.

_To be continued...

* * *

_

_So finally, chapter 7 is finally up! As Kimberly told Bulk when he took forever to make his entrance as Rumpelstiltskin, "took ya long enough!" Hopefully, it was worth it. A switch? Let the speculation begin... Comments hugely appreciated!_

_Power down!_


	9. Chapter 8

______

_**Chapter 8  
**_

_**Divided We Stand, United We Fall, Part III  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: October 20th, 2008)_

* * *

_Paris_

When she'd fired her first arrow, Kimberly hadn't been certain as to whether it would accomplish the desired effect. She had bitten on her lower lip, a habit for her when she was uncertain or nervous, as it had flown right through the hole in the door. When it had connected with the Z on the chest of the Putty standing right outside, the hallway had briefly fallen silent, as if its companions had been trying to determine what had just happened, unable to see.

For a moment, nothing had happened, but then her target's chest plate had begun to glow wildly, and a small smile had tugged at the sides of Kimberly's mouth. "Yes!" she had whispered to herself, grabbing another arrow, even as the familiar and satisfying sound of spontaneous dismemberment broke the silence.

Since then, three more Putties had shared the first one's fate, and the remaining ones seemed to have no intention of changing their seemingly doomed approach. While in theory that meant a shot at eliminating all of them without much of a fuss, the reality of the situation was that even with the Putties out of her way, there would still be the problem of Scorpina, and there was no way a single arrow was going to do the trick there.

Kimberly closed her eyes for a second and pictured her room and its layout, trying to think of something she could use against Scorpina or some means of escape. Unfortunately, she drew a blank on both counts. The only weapon she had was her Power Bow and her only way out was the door Scorpina and the Putties were trying to break down, since a metal grate on the outside of her window eliminated that as a potential exit.

Kimberly was about to fire another arrow when Scorpina's voice broke through the Putties' gargling sounds. "Move!" she called out to them, apparently already tired of their relative imbecility and incompetence.

A few moments later, a large part of the upper half of the door was blasted into the room, and Kimberly reflexively turned away to shield her face and arms from the wood splinters that flew her way. That was when it hit her. It was a long shot, but it was her only shot.

A cloudy mix of plaster dust and smoke were now suspended in the room. Kimberly threw the Power Bow down on her bed and ran to the window. She pulled the curtains open and the room was suddenly bathed in a faint light. "Oh no you don't, Kimberly!" she heard Scorpina yell from the hallway as she slid the window open.

She barely had the time to lift it all the way up when she dropped to the floor. She felt intense heat as what she guessed was a fireball flew over her. Then, a loud crash and a cracking sound, followed a few seconds later by another crash.

This time, the smoke was must heavier and denser and Kimberly had to feel her way around. She quickly found her guitar case and opened it, pulled out her instrument and slid it under her bed. She tried her best to keep from coughing, not wanting to give Scorpina any indication as to her specific location in the room.

As visibility slowly returned, she grabbed the Power Bow and her remaining arrows and dropped them all in the guitar case. She clasped the case shut and ran back to the window, surveying the extent of the damage.

As she'd hoped, the grate had been torn off its hinges by Scorpina's fireball and now rested, smoldering and deformed, in the alley below. Already wondering how she was going to make it down without injuring herself, Kimberly slid the guitar case through and let it drop.

By this point, Scorpina was kicking away at the remnants of the door and the bookcase that blocked it didn't seem like it would hold her and the Putties back much longer.

Her guitar case down, Kimberly thought of grabbing the thick comforter on her bed and throwing it out with the hopes it would cushion her landing, but she decided against it, knowing there was a chance she might land badly on an uneven surface and injure herself.

Her mind made up, she passed her legs through the window, then her midsection. Once she was certain she had a solid hold on the ledge, she started to lower herself, feeling her arms tense up as they extended above her. She then raised her right leg and gave a small shove into the wall before letting go, ensuring her downward trajectory would take her away from the wall and she'd have enough space to land properly.

Kimberly dropped and when she hit the ground, her years of gymnastics took over, as her legs absorbed the impact. It wasn't her most graceful landing, which was evidenced by the soreness of her leg muscles, but at least, she wasn't stuck with Scorpina and the Putties anymore.

She walked over to her guitar case and picked it up before she forced herself into a light jog down the alley, anxious to find herself on the main street, where she'd have a better chance of getting lost in the crowds.

It was then that a car swerved into the alley at top speed, its bright illuminated headlights blinding her as she turned herself away, bracing herself.

* * *

_Space_

For the last few days, the ship had slowly been making its way to Earth. Now, even as it stayed in the planet's range, cloaked from detection from the Rangers thanks to Astronema's Protocols, it was bustling with activity. Even as their leader awaited Dark Specter's orders, the rest of the ship's occupants were keeping busy, preparing for battle against some of Earth's bravest and most dangerous warriors.

Indeed, word had come to them that the Senseis of both the Wind and Thunder academies were converging on the _Pai Zhuq_ Academy along with their students. There were even rumors that some _Pai Zhuq_ Masters were already there.

Anxious to carry on their part in Dark Specter's plans, they waited.

* * *

_London_

The rain was still coming down hard as Kat ran her way through what seemed like a labyrinth of deserted alleys, her sneakers drenched as she focused more on putting as much distance as possible between herself and her pursuers than on dodging the puddles that were in her way.

She felt like she'd just run a marathon, although she knew it couldn't have been more than a few minutes, so she decided to stop for a moment to catch her breath. Breathing heavily and leaning against a cobblestone wall, she pushed a few of the soaked locks of hair that had fallen into her eyes out of the way, trying to listen to the ambient sounds for an indication of the proximity of Gasket, Archerina and their Cogs.

The muscles of her legs and the cut on her arm on fire despite the icy cold of the rain, Kat attempted to see through the dense fog that was blanketing the city. Though she saw nothing at first, she soon glimpsed luminous eyes approaching, no doubt those of Gasket and Archerina, causing her to break off into a run once more.

Even though she tried her hardest to maintain a strong pace, Kat knew she was slowly losing steam and slowing down. She tried to focus on the sound of her enemies' footfalls, knowing that her decreasing speed should have given them the chance to close the gap by now. However, their pace seemed to mirror her own, and in that moment, Kat knew her gamble to stick to the side streets had paid off.

"That's right, you rust buckets," she whispered under her breath as she kept going, "can't be the hugest fans of rain and fog."

Feeling a renewed burst of energy at the knowledge she would soon be able to shake them off completely, Kat took a right when she reached the next intersection. She stopped short when she saw that Gasket and Archerina were both there, expecting her.

"Nice try, Katherine," Gasket acknowledged loudly enough to be heard over the rain, taking a step towards her. "Your little run around the city didn't sit too well with the Cogs."

Kat was breathing hard, knowing there was nowhere left to run that they couldn't catch her. She eyed Archerina's bow warily, feeling a pang on her arm near her wound. She took a step back, finding herself in an alley with a dead end, and the others advanced on her, stopping in the middle of the intersection.

"Indeed," Archerina confirmed, raising her bow as she spoke, "but you had to expect that the royalty of the Machine Empire would be better equipped to handle these dreadful conditions than lowly Cogs."

"What do you want from me?" Kat shouted out, hoping to win some time to come up with an exit strategy.

"What we've always wanted, my dear," Gasket started.

"Your destruction," Archerina finished, taking aim, as she and her husband let out triumphant laughs.

The grey Volkswagen Beetle came out of nowhere and they were taken completely by surprise when it collided with them at full speed from the side, throwing them back like a pair of ragdolls even as it braked to a stop. It then backed up until it was back in the intersection. The passenger door opened and Kat peered inside, relieved.

"Care for a ride?" Zack asked from the wheel of the RADBUG, looking like he too had been put through hell.

"Come on, Kat," Kimberly called out from the back seat of the car, "get in before they're back up!"

"Zack! Kimberly!" Kat said excitedly as she threw herself in the passenger seat and slammed the door shut.

"Let's get out of here," Zack said as he stepped on the gas, backing out of the alley.

"What's going on?" Kat asked her friends, shivering in her soaked clothes.

"We'll explain everything later, Kat," Kimberly answered, handing her a wool blanket to warm up, "but right now we've got to get to Kenya."

Kat didn't need to know the specifics to get a sense of the greater picture. "Aisha," she said, hoping their friend hadn't been the target of a similar attack.

* * *

_Cave of Despair_

"Alright sweetheart, we're home," Rito announced once he, Aisha and the Tengas had materialized in the Cave of Despair. For Aisha, who'd spent time here with Adam and Rocky prior to becoming a Power Ranger, this was familiar territory. "Untie her, boys," he motioned to the Tengas, "she ain't going nowhere."

"You know there's no way you're getting away with this, don't you?" Aisha asked as her restraints were being removed. "My friends will come for me."

"Don't be so sure about that," a voice said from deep in the shadows.

"Pops, I got her!" Rito called out proudly as the figure emerged into view, moving so smoothly it seemed to glide over the mist-covered ground.

"Well done, Rito," Master Vile intoned as he advanced, holding his wand in his right hand. "I always knew that when the time came, you wouldn't let me down."

"What do you want with me, Vile?" Aisha asked defiantly as the Tengas left her sides and regrouped behind Rito.

"Nothing much, child," he answered, waving his wand around as he spoke. "The end of your world is at hand, and I was charged in ensuring you and your friends wouldn't interfere."

"My friends?" Aisha repeated, the defiance gone from her voice, worry starting to take over.

"Why yes," Master Vile confirmed. "You see, while my daughter and that incompetent husband of hers are off preparing to do their part in Dark Specter's grand plan, Astronema thought it wise to assemble a group of individuals, myself included, to take care of those who would predictably come to the aid of the current team of Rangers."

"As of this moment," he continued to boast, "two of you have been captured, and the Rangers not currently headed for Angel Grove have all sustained various degrees of injuries, the most serious of which seem to have afflicted Tommy, courtesy of a run-in with your old friend, Goldar."

"You still know you're never getting away with this," Aisha stated, though she was uncertain as to who she was trying to convince of that, herself or her enemies.

"Tough talk for a girl trapped in the Cave of Despair," Rito countered even as Master Vile used his wand to generate a force field that would keep her trapped. "Or is that the seer in you?" he mocked.

Aisha, whose visions of darkness and evil had been anything but hopeful, had no clever comebacks as Master Vile, Rito and the Tengas walked through the force field, leaving her alone.

* * *

_Kenya_

"Looks like we were too late, you guys," Kimberly said as she picked up a black feather on the ground.

"What's that?" Zack asked as he walked over from a small hut.

"It's a Tenga feather," Kat answered, applying pressure to a towel she'd wrapped around her wound, realizing that Zack had never faced the creatures during his tenure as a Power Ranger.

"Zedd and Rita upgraded from Putties to Tengas just before we got our Ninja Powers," Kimberly filled in. "Birdbrains, but they were strong."

"And they got Aisha," Kat said, taking a look around at the deserted village. "Can you track her using her communicator signal like you did me and Kimberly?"

"I did," Zack replied, showing the girls the communicator he held in his hand. "It was in her hut."

"That means we have no way of tracking her down?" Kimberly asked, letting the feather drop back down to the ground, already knowing the answer to that question.

They all stayed silent for a moment, until Kimberly spoke again. "So Tengas attacked Aisha and Putties attacked me. That tells us Zedd and Rita, or someone closely connected to them, is behind this. But then, Gasket and Archerina were the ones after Kat, so that's the involvement of the Machine Empire."

"But what about the dojo?" Zack asked. "That could have been done by either one of them."

"It wasn't," Kat stated, looking into the distance. "It was Divatox."

"What makes you so sure of that?" Zack wondered.

"After we got our Turbo powers," Kat explained, "we got a message from the future. It revealed to us that the greatest evil in the universe would attempt to destroy it. There was footage included, which showed what appeared to be a coalition between Rita and Zedd, Mondo and Machina, and Divatox."

Zack and Kimberly exchanged looks, processing the information, and looked back at Kat.

"Whatever their plan is," Kat continued, "it's about to begin, and neutralizing those who once wielded the Power seems to be an important part of it."

_To be continued…

* * *

_

__

So that's it for Chapter 8. I'll be back soon as the Rangers still standing begin to converge on Angel Grove...

_Thank you to everyone who's been reading this from all corners of the globe, it's awesome to see Countdown has gone international. I'd love to hear your feedback on the story so far. Also, if you're liking Countdown, check out my other story, Power Rangers: End of Days. There's a really good trailer at the end of its first chapter that gives me chills when I reread it._

_Special thank yous to GinaStar, milordo-z 2.0, 1wyldblonde, Iron-Mantis, Lena Kim, snake screamer, penguin-STRUT and susie for your feedback so far._

_Onto specific issues (I'll be addressing feedback and questions at the end of every chapter from this point onward, so write in!):_

_1) Jindrax, Toxica or Master Org? There will be a Wild Force component to the story, so the chance of seeing some Orgs pop up is pretty good. Those three? If the story calls for it, it'll happen._

_2) The inclusion of the Masked Rider was meant as a nod to the crossover in A Friend in Need, and for the time being, there are no future plans for him in the story. V.R. Troopers having never been on PR, and me having never seen an ep, it's doubtful they'll find a place in Countdown._

_Power down!_


	10. Chapter 9

____

_**Chapter 9  
**_

_**Divided We Stand, United We Fall, Part IV  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: November 3rd, 2008)_

* * *

_Angel Grove_

It wasn't long before the ambulance carrying Jason and Justin arrived at Angel Grove General. The ride there went by relatively fast, and the paramedic that was riding in the back with them seemed satisfied that Justin would make a complete and speedy recovery. Still, wanting to take no risks, he was carted away on his gurney for a consultation with a doctor.

Jason, on the other hand, had insisted that he was fine and that he didn't need to see anyone for the few minor cuts and bruises he had sustained. Though his decision was met with some resistance, lawsuits against hospitals being a common occurrence, it was clear there would be no changing his mind.

When Rocky and Trini finally arrived, she too was rolled away in the same direction Justin had taken. Rocky, apparently having been gifted with the same stubborn streak that seemed to be an integral part of any Red Ranger, joined him once he finished signing a few documents.

"Care to tell me what the hell just happened?" Rocky asked him as they walked off in the direction of the nearest waiting room, confirming his suspicion that Trini and Rocky hadn't gotten much of a chance to catch up on the way over.

"I think this is it, Rocko," Jason said grimly as they kept walking down the sterile, brightly lit hallway, following the directions given to them by various signs. "The big battle the Blue Senturion came to warn the Turbo Rangers about, it's about to start. When Trini, Zack and I were at the Surf Spot, we overheard Professor Phenomenus mention to Bulk and Skull that he'd picked up on energy signatures entering Earth space in Europe, Africa and here. And right before we arrived at the dojo, Tommy called me. He was on his way here, and he'd found out through Adam that Aisha had a premonition that might be linked with the release of a powerful big bad. Something happened to him, took him off guard, there was a sound like an explosion, then I heard a crash and metal dragging on concrete. That's when we got to the dojo. Had we been just a minute earlier, I don't think any of us would have survived that blast."

"The energy signatures Professor Phenomenus picked up over Europe and Africa," Rocky continued, putting all the information together, "Zack went to find Aisha, Kimberly and Kat, didn't he?"

Jason nodded as they finally reached the waiting area. "I just hope he can get to them in time," he confirmed.

"I should probably check in with Adam and Tanya," Rocky suggested as they stopped by a pair of payphones. "And maybe you can try reaching Billy and the Space Rangers to give them a heads up," Rocky added, pointing to the communicator Jason had slipped onto his wrist on the way.

Before he could acknowledge, Jason noticed two familiar figures in a distant corner of the room. "Rocky," he started, nodding in their direction, making his friend divert his attention from the payphones, and he then began to make his way toward them.

"Bulk, Skull," Jason said when they were close enough to notice that both of their friends' arms bore multiple scrapes and cuts. "Are you okay?" he asked, though their wounds all seemed superficial enough. Still, that did nothing to lessen the feeling of dread that was slowly consuming him.

"Hey guys," Bulk answered somberly, "yeah we're fine."

"The Professor?" Rocky followed up, knowing the three were normally inseparable when it came to extraterrestrial investigation.

"He's probably off doing something, Phenomeny," Skull replied, looking away from them.

"So why are you guys here?" Jason asked, the question unavoidable.

Bulk alternately looked Jason and Rocky in the eyes for a moment, and it hit Jason that he was clearly choosing his next words. He braced himself, ready for the worst, even as he saw a look of resignation pass over Bulk's features. "It's Tommy," he said simply.

* * *

The drive from Los Angeles had mainly gone on in silence for Adam and Tanya, as he sat behind the wheel, rolling as fast as the speed limit allowed and she tried, without success to reach their friends on her phone.

"I've tried every home line, cell phone, the dojo and all I'm getting are voice mails or disconnected numbers, Adam," Tanya said, frustration and worry evident in her voice as she flipped it closed and placed it in one of the empty cup holders.

"Try my communicator again," Adam suggested. She took it out of the other cup holder and pressed one of the buttons on the side, expecting to be patched through to the Megaship or the Space Rangers, but only getting an error tone instead. She dropped it back in its place.

"This can't be happening," he declared, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the wheel tighter in his hands. "The attack at Empire Records, Aisha and Master Mao's visions, us not being able to contact anyone."

"Adam," Tanya whispered warningly, noticing his speed was slowly creeping up over the limit, the sole utterance of his name sufficient for him to take conscience of that and bring himself to decelerate ever so slightly.

"I'm sorry Tanya," he apologized, forcing himself to loosen his grip on the steering wheel, "I'm just worried."

"I know, Adam," she said, her tone soothing as he took the briefest of moments to look out his window towards the setting sun and the trees that zipped past them.

Looking back to the road, he saw a figure in the distance, standing in the middle of the two-lane road. Approaching, he realized it was a police officer, waving a pair of glow sticks in the air. The left lane was blocked and he and another officer standing further down were attempting to coordinate the traffic coming from both directions, giving drivers alternate passage while maintaining a certain degree of fluidity.

Coming in on him, Adam slowed down significantly until he came to a stop by the officer, who, once he checked in with his partner, urged Adam to move along on the right side of the road.

"Adam, is that?" was all Tanya said as they slowly rolled past the blackened wreckage of the upturned car that they both recognized as being Tommy's and the shrapnel strewn about from its explosion.

Adam remained silent as they inched past the car, casting a look inside the totaled vehicle, unsure as to whether or not he should be relieved that their friend was nowhere to be seen.

When he was certain they were out of the second officer's line of sight, he pressed the gas pedal. This time, when went over the speed limit, Tanya didn't say a thing.

* * *

"All things considered," an intern informed them, looking over various charts, "your friend was very fortunate."

Rocky and Jason considered her words as they looked at Tommy, who lay still in his bed, Bulk standing behind them as Skull waited for Trini and Justin in the waiting room to give them the news.

"Fortunate?" Rocky asked in disbelief, the revelations of the last few minutes overwhelming him. "He's in a coma."

"Nonetheless," the intern reassured them, "considering the gravity of the accident he was apparently involved in, it's very surprising his body didn't withstand greater physical trauma. No surgical interventions needed to be considered, only a few bandages for the more serious cuts."

Rocky nodded as Jason asked the question that was on all of their minds. "But what about the coma, doctor?"

"That's a bit more tricky," she answered them, hanging Tommy's charts at the foot of his bed. "If he wakes up in the coming hours, it's unlikely there'll be any consequences. However, the longer he remains in his comatose state, the least likely it is be that he'll come out of it."

Her pager then beeped, forcing her to excuse herself. They thanked her for her assistance before they were left in the room, alone with Tommy.

"What happened, Bulk?" Jason asked, his eyes still on their fallen friend.

"The Professor, Skull and me, we tracked an alien energy signature to the outskirts of Angel Grove," Bulk started to explain. "It was one of those aliens that always attacked Angel Grove a few years back. Big, monkey-like, golden armor, went by the name Goldar."

At the mention of their old nemesis' name, both Rocky and Jason tensed and turned to Bulk, giving him their undivided attention.

"We didn't know what he was doing there, and there was no way we were going to take him on, so we watched," Bulk continued. "All of a sudden, he jumped onto the road and he fired a fireball at what turned out to be Tommy's car. Tommy tried to dodge it, tried to swerve his car on the road, but he wasn't able to."

Jason closed his eyes then, the end of his call with Tommy replaying in his mind as Bulk continued his story.

"Skull and I, we managed to pull him out of the car and drag him away before it blew up. We got him here as fast and as carefully as we could," Bulk finished, his words revealing an empathy neither would have expected to find there a few years ago.

"Thanks Bulk," Rocky offered, giving him a tap on the shoulder.

"So, what happened to you guys?" Bulk asked, noticing their cuts and bruises.

"Nothing much," Jason answered, still too used to making excuses around civilians from his days as Red and Gold Ranger.

Bulk nodded once, accepting Jason's unspoken request for him not to pry anymore into things.

The three were silent for a few minutes until a gasp came from the doorway, drawing their attention. "Oh God, Tommy," Kimberly said as she quickly walked into the room towards his bed, her hand covering her mouth as tears welled in her eyes.

Behind her, Kat walked in, followed by Zack. She held a piece of cloth to the wound on her arm as she walked in, clearly alarmed by her boyfriend's condition, yet seemingly more perturbed by the greater picture of what was apparently happening to them all.

"We ran into Skull in the waiting room," Zack said as he joined the other guys, letting Kat join Kimberly by Tommy's bedside. "What happened?"

"Tommy was in an accident," Jason said simply, not wanting to say too much in front of Bulk. "He was attacked while he was driving to Angel Grove."

"Is he going to be okay?" Kat asked, tears flowing freely.

"We don't know," Rocky answered, his voice almost a whisper, as he walked over to her and held her comfortingly in his arms.

"I think I'll go check on Skull and the Professor in the waiting room," Bulk offered, "unless you guys want me to stick around here."

"That's okay, Bulk," Rocky told him. "We'll come and see you guys if Tommy's condition changes. Thanks."

Bulk nodded and walked out of the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

"Aisha?" Jason queried once they were alone.

"We were too late, Jase," Zack answered. "She was taken."

"This is a nightmare," was all Kimberly said, as she looked up from Tommy at them all, "a total nightmare."

* * *

"Are you sure we're going in the right direction, Finster?" Baboo asked, skeptical, as he cautiously followed Rita Repulsa one-time monster maker down a darkened cave.

"Absolutely," Finster answered with confidence as he held a lit torch in front of him, taking a look at his scroll as he advanced.

"So where are we going again," Squatt, another of Rita's minions asked, looking downward, hoping to be able to reach their destination without stubbing his toe again.

Finster shook his head, wishing he could have done this by himself. Unfortunately, opening the portal they needed to go through implied a very specific ritual that needed to be conducted by three individuals to be successful. The assignment not being one requiring any brawn, Master Vile had shown little hesitation picking these two meandering buffoons to accompany him, Finster estimating he'd done so to be free of their presence more than anything else.

"The Portal of Eternity," Finster explained for what felt like the ninth time. "It will allow us to teleport to the location on this scroll to free a great force of evil that will help Dark Specter ensure Earth's takeover is successful."

"But why don't we just teleport there?" Squatt asked, the question not entirely absurd considering their ability to teleport from one place to another at will.

"Because this lost sanctuary is out of even our reach," Finster informed him, as they finally walked into the large cave in which they would open the portal.

"What do you know about this great evil, Finster?" Baboo asked, looking about nervously.

"My scrolls indicate their involvement in a great war that took place several millennia ago and that ended in their defeat" Finster recounted from memory.

"So we want to free a bunch of losers?" Squatt contributed, genuinely confused.

"I'll remind you we ourselves were trapped once, Squatt," Finster chided him. "Anyhow, the prophecies in these scrolls indicate that they are to be released in time for the coming war, and that is what we will do. There is also a reference in these texts about the 'awakening of the sleeper', though that part is a bit more obscure."

"Sounds good to me," Baboo said, getting in position by the portal to perform his part as Squatt stood opposite him.

"Just make it quick," Squatt added. "I'm getting hungry."

Sighing, Finster skimmed the text on the scroll until he found the incantation that would open the portal and he started to intone it.

* * *

By the time Adam and Tanya had reached the hospital, Trini and Justin had already joined the others. Once they'd heard of what had happened to their friends that day, they shared their own story of the attack that had taken place at Empire Records and their inability to reach the Space Rangers or Billy.

Adam stood by Tommy's bed, knowing he'd been one of the last persons to speak to him before his accident. "This is all my fault," he said in a hushed tone that the others all heard in the silence of the room.

"Adam," Trini tried to reason with him, "there's no way you could have know what was going to happen today."

"Today shouldn't have happened," Adam said softly yet intensely. "We left the team, Kat, Tommy, Tanya and I. We found out the biggest of all battles was right around the corner and we decided to leave things in the hands of Justin, who'd only been a Ranger for a few months, and four complete strangers we 'believed' in."

Kat looked down, Adam's words echoing the thoughts she'd been keeping to herself ever since her return, while Justin stayed silent, unable to make eye contact with his former teammate. Tanya looked at Adam, surprised by the anger he was displaying.

"Adam," she confronted him, "no one said our Ranger gigs were going to last forever. Zordon and Dimitria themselves gave us their blessing when we left."

"I should have stayed," he replied, his tone rising. "Just like Tommy, Billy and Kimberly did when Rocky, Aisha and I became Rangers, I should have done the same. Divatox would never have been able to destroy the Command Center or the Zords, we would have been able to save Zordon right away and none of this would be happening right now."

"But no, we left. And now look at us," he continued, looking at them all in turn. "Most of you guys are wounded. Tommy's in a coma. Aisha and Billy are both missing. Using our Power Coins could overload our bodies, the Zeo powers are inaccessible ever since the destruction of the Command Center, our Turbo Morphers are with the Space Rangers and we can't even contact them."

A knock at the door brought Adam to stop talking. No one else said anything either as it opened.

"Is this a bad time?" the young man standing outside asked, smiling despite the obvious gravity of the situation.

"Billy!" Kimberly cried out, running to hug him as all the others smiled, even Adam, grateful for this smallest of favors in this, their most desperate hour.

_To be continued...

* * *

_

_That's all for Chapter 9. I promised to get the team together, and so it is._

_As always, thanks for reading. I'd also like to specifically thank snake screamer, ae1102 and psav2005 for their reviews of Chapter 8. Now, to answer tho__se comments and drop a tidbit or two about what you can expect in the near future._

_The identity of the group that will be attacking the Pai Zhuq Academy will be revealed in due time, just not in the letters column. I ain't going to work at being cryptic to blow the reveal here. As to Cam and RJ, though I'm not sure about the former, you can be certain that if all hell breaks loose at the Academy, I'll definitely find a way of including RJ and perhaps some of the Masters. I'd really like that a lot. The NS/JF portion of Countdown will definitely have a few moments of awesomeness that will tie in directly with events that will eventually happen in those series themselves._

_Pairings... There will absolutely be pairings. Tommy and Kat are an item, though Kimberly's presence will most likely throw a wrench in things. There might be something between Adam and Tanya, as to me they seemed to get closer during Zeo. Maybe some Andros and Ashley if I decide to throw in some Space Rangers in there, which I'll do if I can envision some original and meaningful scenes to include them. There is at least one other pairing, though it's classified for the time being, maybe more but that remains to be seen, even for me._

_A Zeo/MMPR team-up? As was revealed very briefly this chapter, the orginal and the Zeo powers seem to be out of commission for the time being. That doesn't mean the Rangers are out, just that I'm a really mean author. Seriously however, there will most likely be morphing at some point down the road._

_Spoilery tidbit, the current arc, Divided We Stand, United We Fall, will come to a close by the end of 2008, either with Chapter 12 or a double-sized Chapter 11. Then, we'll be leaving the original Rangers, to check in on, among other things, the current adventures of Andrew Hartford, the future mentor of the Operation Overdrive Rangers, for our first non-MMPR mini-arc, for which I'm very excited._

_Power down!_


	11. Chapter 10

____

_**Chapter 10  
**_

_**Divided We Stand, United We Fall, Part V  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: February 22nd, 2009)_

* * *

_Angel Grove_

For a few minutes following Billy's arrival, all their spirits had been lifted. Once hugs and handshakes had been exchanged, however, the room had quickly quieted down, allowing them to update their friend with regards to what was happening. When Kat had mentioned what they were now referring to as the millennium message, a look of understanding seemed to cross Billy's face.

"Billy, what is it?" Trini asked, noticing his thoughtful expression. Due to the lack of sitting space in the room, she and Kimberly were sharing a chair by Tommy's bed. While Trini gave Billy her attention, Kimberly kept looking in Tommy's direction, hopeful that he'd come out of his coma somehow.

"When I left Aquitar," he answered pensively, "my ship's sensors detected Divatox's Subcraft orbiting in Aquitian space. She was waiting for something."

"So I guess this is really it, right?" Rocky commented from the far side of the room, where he and Adam were leaning on the windowsill. No one needed to answer the question. Deep inside, they all knew that Dark Specter's endgame was set to begin.

"No it's not," Jason declared, breaking the uneasy silence that had settled following Rocky's statement. "It never is," he continued, his tone determined and certain, as he looked at each of the former Rangers in turn. "We've all faced bad situations before, guys, beaten odds that seemed insurmountable. Every time we've had our backs against the wall, we've managed to pull through, stronger than before."

"Jason's right," Kimberly chimed in, standing up next to the team's original leader. "Our numbers were all up today. But we were all able, somehow, to make it. We can't give up now, you guys. We have to fight, for Tommy and Aisha, and everyone else who's depending on us."

Drawing from the original Pink and Red Rangers' resolve, the others' defeated and saddened looks were quickly replaced by determined and confident expressions.

"So, what now?" Kat asked, looking up from the bed where her boyfriend lay still. She winced slightly as a she felt a pang in her arm.

"Well, for starters," Billy said reaching in the back pocket of his jeans, "how about we take care of that arm?"

"What's that, Billy?" Zack inquired as he eyed the disc-like device his friend held in his hand. It was clear and seemed to be emitting a bluish aura.

"Just a little something I had a chance to work on back on Aquitar," Billy stated, walking over to where Kat stood. Without saying a word, he moved her hand away from her wound and gently removed the cloth that was covering it. Then, as the others watched attentively, he held the disc about an inch above the cut she'd sustained from Archerina's arrow. After a few seconds, the glow from the disc intensified, bathing her arm in the same blue light. Then, the impossible happened, as the gash on her arm slowly started healing, leaving her skin intact with only a few specks of blood to remind her of the injury.

"Oh my God," she whispered with a smile as she flexed and folded her arm a few times before dabbing away at the remaining droplets of blood with a clean section of the cloth.

Before Kat even had a chance to thank him, Billy had moved on to Trini, letting the disc heal the cuts she'd sustained to her forehead. As he held the disc in place longer this time around, the light not only bathed her head but it also started to envelop the rest of her upper body, clearing away all the bruises, the scrapes and the cuts caused by the explosion at the dojo.

"Well, I'd say that's as good a first step as any," Tanya commented with a smile, even as Billy's device worked its magic on Jason's bruises.

* * *

Shortly afterwards, Jason and Kimberly made their way to the waiting room to check on Bulk and Skull. They found them in the same spot, where they seemed to be in the midst of an animated yet hushed discussion. As they approached, the two friends quickly noticed them, quieting down.

"Any change?" Bulk asked once they were close enough.

"No," Jason answered, shaking is head.

"Hey," Kimberly said with a smile. "Jason told me about what you two did for Tommy. Thanks." She moved on to give each of them a heartfelt hug, a gesture they reciprocated, even though they were slightly surprised by it.

"It's nothing he wouldn't have done for us," Bulk answered. "Or hasn't done…"

"Huh?" Kimberly asked as she frowned and took a step back. "What are you talking about, Bulk?"

"It took us long enough," Skull explained, "but we've finally figured it out."

"Figured what out?" Jason asked, exchanging a puzzled look with Kimberly.

"That you guys are, or rather were, the Power Rangers," Bulk finished.

"And what would make you think that?" Kimberly asked, feigning nonchalance and forcing a laugh.

"We just put the pieces together," Bulk said. "Goldar attacking Tommy, the footage from the dojo explosion on the news, your being here when you should be in France, Billy showing up after being gone for nearly two years…"

"The way we figure," Skull continued, you two, Zack, Trini, Billy and Tommy were the original team. Three of you left for the peace conference we should have been selected for and were replaced by Adam, Rocky and Aisha, who became a part of your little clique. Kat replaced you when you left for Florida. Tanya replaced Aisha when she disappeared and Justin took Rocky's place when he hurt his back. You know, we didn't get into the Angel Grove Junior Police solely based on our dashing good looks."

"You don't have to worry," Bulk assured Kimberly and Jason, seeing the worried looks on their faces. "We're not going to tell anyone about this, not even the Professor. It's the least we can do to repay you for everything you've done for us."

They were quiet for a few moments, speechless. For almost an entire year, Bulk and Skull had made every imaginable effort to try and discover the Rangers' identities and reveal them to the world at large, always managing to come close to the truth, despite the zaniness of their schemes. And now, though their relentless search had been over for a few years, they'd managed to figure it all out.

"You two should leave now," was the first thing Jason found to say. "Take the Professor and get out."

"Jason," Kimberly scolded him, worried that her friend's abrupt tone might lead to unfortunate consequences.

"Look, Jason," Bulk answered, putting his hands up in front of him pleadingly, "I know we haven't always been the best of friends."

"That's kind of an understatement, Bulkie" Skull interjected, looking sideways.

"But you don't need to worry about us keeping your secret," Bulk continued. "I swear."

"I know, and I appreciate that, guys," Jason said, nodding. "And that's why I'm telling you both to leave. Get as far as you can from Angel Grove, because what started today? This is going to be the big one."

Bulk and Skull nodded without a word as they started to grasp the seriousness of the situation.

"But what are you guys going to do?" Bulk asked them. "I mean, do you even still have any powers to protect yourselves?"

"We're trying to figure that one out," Kimberly answered, giving a hopeful smile. She then caught a glimpse of the cuts on theirs arms that they'd sustained when they'd pulled Tommy out of his car. "Jase, do you think we can have Billy take care of those?" she asked, pointing.

"Yeah, of course," Jason said before he invited Bulk and Skull to follow them to Tommy's room.

* * *

"Alright guys," Billy stated as he pulled the healing disc away from Bulk's arms, "you're both as good as new."

"Thanks, Billy," Bulk said sincerely. He then exchanged looks with Jason and Kimberly before turning to his best friend. "Come on, Skull," he told him, nodding towards the door, "let's find the Professor and skip town."

As they made their way out of the room, they crossed paths with Rocky and Adam, who were returning from the hospital's parking with Adam and Tanya's suitcases as well as a gym bag filled with spare clothes that the Rangers had gotten used to leaving in the Rad Bug.

They set everything on the floor and started to rummage through the bags, occasionally pulling out something that could be worn in replacement of torn or otherwise damaged clothing.

"So, this disc," Kat asked as she took a pink shirt Adam handed her, "is there any chance it could bring Tommy out of his coma?"

"It's doubtful," Billy answered, eyeing the device, "though it couldn't hurt to try. At the very least, it'll completely heal his body."

With that, he pressed a button on the disc and placed it on Tommy chest. While before, it would have bathed the targeted area in a bluish light, this time it remained silent. "Just to be sure none of the nurses notice it and remove it," Billy explained.

"Astronema tried to wipe us all out," Trini mused out loud, having been silent ever since Billy had used the device on her. "She's worried about us."

"We're not active Rangers anymore, but that hasn't stopped us from interfering with her plans in the past," Adam completed the thought, handing a yellow tank top from Tanya's suitcase to Trini even as he exchanged a look with Justin.

"But you were almost destroyed when you used your power coin, Adam," Tanya observed.

"Speaking of which," Kimberly cut in, raising a finger in the air, "what's the status with all our powers anyway?"

"I still have mine," Justin offered helpfully, flicking his wrists to summon his turbo morpher and key, which materialized in a flash of blue light.

"The rest of the Turbo morphers are with the Space Rangers, though," Adam continued. "And as for the Zeo powers, they've been inaccessible ever since Divatox destroyed the Command Center."

"Since the combined energies of the Zeo shards gave us our powers," Tanya explained, "we think that the Zeo Crystal was shattered once again in the explosion. Unless we're able to reassemble the Crystal, then the Zeo powers aren't usable."

"As for the Power Coins," Jason continued, "Trini, Zack and I still have ours, though they've been useless ever since we transferred our powers to Rocky, Adam and Aisha."

"And the three coins created during the transfer, along with the rest of the coins were destroyed by Goldar before we went searching for the Zeo shards," Rocky finished.

"Well," Billy finally said with a hint of a smile, having stayed silent during the entire discussion, "judging from the direness of the situation and what you're all saying, I guess this wouldn't be an entirely inappropriate time for new powers."

"No way," Kimberly exclaimed as a glimmer of hope seemed to ease the tension in the room, curious looks and grateful smiles appearing on all their faces.

"It's another thing I worked on during my time on Aquitar," Billy explained. "There was always a chance that something like this would happen and that we'd need to take up the mantle again. I didn't think all our previous power sources would be unavailable though, so I only have enough morphers for a regular team of six Rangers."

"So, where are these morphers now, Billy?" Trini asked.

"Well, I didn't want to risk having them taken from me if I was attacked on my way here, so I left them in my shuttle," Billy answered. "It's cloaked in the park."

"What are we waiting for then?" Zack asked excitedly, before high-fiving Billy. "Let's go get us some news powers!"

"We'll wait until dawn," Jason announced. "Until then, everyone try and get some rest."

"What about Tommy?" Kat questioned. "Someone should stay with him, in case he wakes up."

Almost as if on cue, someone knocked on the door. Kimberly, who'd been closest to it, went to open it, finding a young woman outside.

"Can I help you?" Kimberly asked, noticing the woman wasn't dressed in hospital attire.

"Hi, my name's Hayley Sullivan," she said. "I'm a friend of Tommy Oliver's. I saw the wreckage from his car on my way down to Angel Grove and found out he'd been brought here. Can I see him?"

* * *

_Pai Zhuq Academy_

By the time the senseis and students of the Wind and Thunder Ninja Academies finally reached their destination, night had already fallen. The moon shone brightly in the clear sky and torches burned bright around the Academy's perimeter.

Waiting to greet them at the front gates was Master Mao, who acted as the Academy's headmaster. He was surrounded by a group of his more advanced students.

"Welcome," Mao greeted them simply, as he and his students bowed their heads slightly.

"Thank you," Kanoi answered, returning the gesture along with those who accompanied him.

"My students will show your charges to their rooms," Mao stated, signaling his pupils to lead their guests away. "We, on the other hand, have much to discuss."

Without another word, Mao turned away from Kanoi and Koichi and they walked in silence in the direction of the main hall of the Academy.

They soon arrived in a large room, where dark drapes bearing the mark of the Order the Claw hung against the walls. Much like it had been the case outside, torches burned brightly and shadows danced across the walls as the flames swayed gently.

Three men were waiting in the room when they arrived. Judging from their attire, they too, like Mao, were Masters. The tallest of them, who wore a pair of black shades, was the first to notice their presence and he signaled the others to quiet down.

"You both remember Master Finn, Master Phant and Master Swoop?" Mao asked as the three Masters nodded their heads in greeting.

"Of course," Kanoi answered with a warm smile. He and Koichi then stepped forward to shake hands with the three Masters.

"Let us get started," Mao announced after they'd had the chance to exchange a few pleasantries, inviting them all to take a seat around a large table.

"I thank you all for responding to my call so promptly," Mao said, looking at them all in turn.

"Of course," Finn said with a nod, speaking as much for himself as he did for the others.

"As you all know, over ten thousand years ago, the spirit of Dai Shi was locked away. Ever since, the Pai Zhuq have been entrusted with ensuring that he not be released into the world once again. Now however, I sense that a great battle is approaching and that the fate of our world and of the universe is at stake."

"A new Beast War?" Swoop asked succinctly.

"Perhaps," Mao answered. "And that is why I've summoned you all. We cannot allow Dai Shi to be freed."

Even as those gathered around the table nodded their approval, a man walked into the room, a worried expression on his face.

"Lope, what is it?" Mao asked, standing at once as the other Master walked towards to table.

"The surveillance systems have detected a large vessel approaching Earth," Lope informed him. "Nothing we've seen before."

"Where are the others?" Mao asked as he gazed downwards, stroking his chin.

"Rilla and a group of his students are currently patrolling the grounds," Lope answered. "As for Guin, she and her charges are staying near the dorm area, to ensure the younger students are safe in the event of an attack."

"Good," Mao stated, drawing what little comfort he could from knowing that the other Masters had things under control. "Tell them we'll take over at dawn with the students of the Ninja Academies, give you all a chance to rest."

"Right away," Lope answered before leaving the room.

"I suggest you all get some rest," Mao said as he turned back to the others, who now stood around the table. "Whatever is coming, we will need to be ready for it."

* * *

_Angel Grove_

They all left the hospital at dawn, leaving Hayley to watch over Tommy. Splitting up into two groups, they used both Adam's car and the Rad Bug to reach the park and then set off on foot towards the lake, Billy having mentioned his cloaked ship was in its vicinity.

Their current plan was to get Billy's new morphers and use his shuttle's communication systems to try and reach the Space Rangers, their most recent efforts to contact them using their communicators having had no success.

"Things finally seem to be looking up," Tanya said to Kat as they walked a few paces behind the rest of the group. "I don't remember seeing Adam look remotely relaxed ever since the attack on me in Los Angeles."

"Yeah," Kat agreed, though her voice betrayed her current state of mind. "But part of me can't put aside what Adam said last night. If we'd stayed…"

"We'll never know, Kat," Tanya cut her off, looping her arm in her best friend's. "But we couldn't have been expected to stay Rangers forever. Besides, had we stayed, we'd probably be off in space somewhere instead of here, where we can actually do something for Earth."

It wasn't long before the park's winding paths took them near the lake. At this point, they could feel that with every step they took, they were getting closer and closer to their new power source. Their steps were lighter, their chattering was growing more excited and laughter could even be heard between them.

"Astronema and her lackeys are so gonna flip out when they find out we have new powers," Kimberly told the others with a giggle, looking forward to what would most likely shape out to be their greatest adventure ever.

"I wish I could see the looks on their faces when that happens," Justin commented, grinning.

"So, Billy, my main brain," Zack asked their friend, who was walking ahead of the rest of the group, "how much farther until we reach your ship?"

"We're close," Billy stated, pointing to a cluster of trees nearby.

"What a heartwarming reunion," came a deep, booming voice from behind the group. "Our invitations must have gotten lost in the mail."

They all turned around, finding themselves face to face with Master Vile, who was flanked by Rito and Scorpina. At that same moment, a group of monsters they had once defeated materialized between them and their destination, blocking them off.

"Oh God," Kimberly whispered, standing ready, having no trouble recognizing the rest of their welcoming party. Nasty Knight, Madame Woe, Photomare and Stag Beetle had all been difficult opponents to beat individually back in their Ranger days. Their current odds clearly put them at a disadvantage.

"Everyone, stay close," Jason ordered the other former Rangers as he took a stand opposite the Stag Beetle. "Just keep them busy long enough for Billy to get to his ship."

"Right!" the others all chorused, taking up fighting stances and giving all their attention to their adversaries.

Before Jason could make his move, he noticed Billy turn away from the group and take a step back.

"Billy, what are you doing?" Trini asked from where she stood facing Madame Woe.

"That's not Billy," Jason whispered, clenching his fists as Billy continued to back away, a sinister look on his face. He could hear Vile laughing triumphantly behind him along with Rito and Scorpina. He knew they'd been had even before Primataur adopted his true form, ending the deception that had lured them all into Master Vile's trap.

_To be continued...

* * *

_

__

_So, end of Chapter 10. Sorry for taking so long to post it. I hope it'll have been worth the wait. I want to thank everyone here for reading. Feel free to post your requests and suggestions. I always enjoy reading and answering all my feedback. =)_

_There is one thing I feel I should address before someone points out I screwed up, and that's related to the inclusion of Masters Lope, Rilla and Guin. While a more self-contained interpretation of PRJF would seem to indicate that they died during the Great Beast War that took place tens of thousands of years ago, it's interesting to note that in Ghost of a Chance, Part I, Master Mao mentions that they were destroyed "during **a** great war". He didn't say it was during the Great Beast War. So, for the sake of PR: Countdown, they're still alive. After all, by the time I'm done, this war is going to make the "Great Beast War" look like a walk in the park._

_That's it for now. Next time, I think there's gonna be a fight. Following chapter will most likely be like an aftermath/epilogue for the first two arcs, which will jumpstart some new storylines involving other seasons. We'll find out who's going to be attacking the Pai Zhuq Academy and what exactly Squatt, Finster & Baboo are up to. All that and a shocker regarding Billy's whereabouts, as Dark Specter launches the final assault._

Then, third arc, which among other things will include Operation Overdrive's Andrew Hartford. It's gonna be big!

_Letters column!_

_Thanks to Whispering Ranger, milordo-z 2.0 & Iron-Mantis for writing in._

_Whispering Ranger: I know you like the angst, but I'm glad you're also enjoying the funner stuff._

_milordo-z 2.0: The group in the scrolls will quite likely be revealed in Chapter 12._

_Iron-Mantis: You'll get your answer on the identity of the attackers in Chapter 12. And you've already gotten a brief glimpse of Master Swoop in this last chapter. I hope to be able to do something cool with the Masters._

_Power down!_


	12. Chapter 11

____

_**Chapter 11  
**_

_**Divided We Stand, United We Fall, Part VI  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: June 24th, 2009)_

* * *

_Author's Note: Yeah, I know, this chapter's been a long time coming. Hopefully, the wait was worth it._

* * *

_Angel Grove_

The former Rangers stood still for what seemed like an eternity, eyeing their adversaries warily, their muscles tense in anticipation of the battle that would inevitably follow. Only the occasional cackle from the monsters that circled them broke the silence. Master Vile and his goons were convinced that victory would be theirs.

Jason stayed alert, keeping track of all the monsters surrounding them, recalling their individual strengths and weaknesses as he remembered the fights he had waged against some and the information he had studied about others upon his return to the team as the Gold Ranger.

"What do you want from us, Vile? And what have you done with Billy and Aisha?" Rocky questioned their foes' leader. To Jason, it was clear that beyond getting information, this was also an effort on Rocky's part to buy them some time to think of an exit strategy.

"It's the end of the road for you and your world, Rangers," Master Vile proclaimed, chuckling gleefully. "With Dark Specter's final assault on the universe looming, Astronema felt it would be better to tie up all remaining loose ends. After all, you've each proven time and again your resiliency and resourcefulness, with or without your powers. And speaking of powers, I'm sure you'll have realized by now that you won't be finding any new ones here."

"Why the elaborate charade? Why have Primataur heal us at the hospital before he lured us into your trap?" Jason continued, scenarios racing in his mind.

"Where would the fun be in wiping out the legendary Power Rangers at half-strength?" Master Vile began to gloat. "Besides, we had to be sure you'd let us use the device on your beloved Tommy."

"Goldar put him in that coma," Kat said spitefully, scowling at the villain, "why would you want to bring him back to consciousness."

"I'm sure you noticed that when Primataur used the healing disc on Tommy," Master Vile explained, "it didn't emit the same bluish glow as it did when used on each one of you. Let's just say that the disc's programming will 'heal' Tommy's mind as to bring back an old friend, and that this time, there will be no breaking the spell that will have been cast over him."

"No, not again," Jason heard Kimberly whisper behind him, her words echoing all their thoughts. Suddenly, making sure Tommy wasn't brought back to the dark side had become part of an equation that was already complicated enough.

"In the meantime, I tire of all this talk," Master Vile announced, pointing his wand at the Rangers. "Get them," he ordered coldly.

"You heard my old man," Rito called out, weighing his sword in his hand. "Get'em!"

"Let's do this, Rangers!" Jason exclaimed as he rushed Nasty Knight, warily eyeing the sword in the monster's hand.

* * *

Hayley sat in a chair by Tommy's bed, gazing alternately at her unconscious friend and at the screens of the machines where his vital signs were displayed. Everything seemed stable, but that was the problem. There was no sign of improvement. And the longer Tommy stayed this way, the less likely he would manage to pull out of it.

"Come on Tommy," she whispered to him, reaching out to hold his hand. The moment her skin made contact with his, however, she felt a jolt of electricity surge through her and she reflexively pulled her hand away.

Frowning, she stood up and brought her hand close to his once again. Once it was only a few inches away, she noticed tiny bolts of green energy coursing between it and Tommy's exposed skin. The closer her hand got to him, the more intense the bolts became and, as they made contact with her skin, she started to feel a mild discomfort which gradually transformed into light pain.

Hayley pulled her hand away, frowning. Looking at Tommy's face, she noticed a light green glow all over it. That same glow was now bathing his exposed arms.

Carefully, she pulled his sheets down, exposing the healing disc that was on his chest. The device was emitting a low humming sound and greenish energy coursed out of it, gradually enveloping more and more of Tommy's body.

"What in the world?" Hayley asked herself as, against her better judgment, she reached for the device. Before her hand could even make contact with its smooth metallic surface though, the greenish energy became brighter and more intense. An energy wave flowed out of the small disc, slamming into her and throwing her violently across the room and against the wall. Hayley landed in a heap on the cold floor, unconscious.

* * *

"Too slow, furball!" Zack taunted as he easily dodged yet another swipe of Primataur's large and powerful paws. He stayed on the move, not wanting to give the creature any opportunity to catch him. Zack had experienced firsthand Primataur's strength the first time the Rangers had gone up against him. He knew that any blow sustained while they were unmorphed could prove to be fatal, and that the best he could do at this point was simply try and tire the beast out.

"Quit monkeying around and stand still" Primataur growled in frustration as he tried to keep up with the original Black Ranger.

Zack couldn't hold back a chuckle at the monster's choice of words as he dodged again. "Fine," he said, tilting his head to the side as he stared at him. "You want me? Come and get me, you overgrown baboon."

Primataur launched himself through the air in Zack's direction, arms extended towards its intended prey. Instants later, Zack jumped up high, letting the monster fly beneath him until it landed face first in the grass.

The former Ranger's return to the ground was much more graceful. While his opponent slowly got back up, Zack spared a glance around him to see how his friends were faring. Looking to the spot where Justin had been fighting Stag Beetle, he saw the youngest ranger sprawled on the grass, unconscious and unmorphed.

"Justin!" Zack called out worriedly. Just as he was about to run off to check on the boy, from behind him, Stag Beetle's claw hands wrapped themselves around his waist. Although Zack struggled to try and break free, it was only a matter of seconds before he dropped to the ground, his energy drained away by his attacker.

* * *

"Damn it!" Rocky yelled as he saw Zack fall a dozen feet away from Justin.

"What's wrong Rocky?" Rito goaded him, landing a strong kick to his side. "Did you think you actually had a chance of winning this?"

"Shut it, you bonehead," Rocky answered, wincing as he brought his hand to his side.

"I'm just sayin'," Rito continued, firing off a round of fireballs with his sword, "eight former Rangers against the dream team of evil, had to see this coming."

"Why don't you learn to count, you dimwit?" Rocky countered, ducking and sidestepping all the fireballs thrown his way.

"Oh, I know how to count, all right," Rito called out. "And I say you'll be down in less than five minutes."

"Hit me with your best shot," Rocky challenged, throwing himself into a flying kick that made Rito stagger backwards when he connected with his ribcage.

* * *

_Unknown location_

Finster emerged from the Portal of Eternity into a large underground chamber. The torch he still carried in his hand provided him with just enough illumination to see a few feet ahead in the darkness that enveloped him.

Behind him, Squatt and Baboo followed noisily. Both had been nervous about entering the portal, staying in close proximity of their de facto leader. Their nerves hadn't been the only thing on edge over the course of their journey, however Finster had managed to maintain irrational fears of failure away for the most part.

"Ahhh, we've finally made it," Finster informed his companions, as he used the torch to make out the runes and inscriptions on the walls.

"We're not going to have to use that portal again to get back, are we?" Baboo asked, struggling to stand upright as he fought off the side effects of their cross-dimensional traveling.

"No, we won't," Finster answered, focusing on a particular set of runes. "If we know our destination, we may forego using the portal."

"In that case," Squatt said happily, opening his satchel and rummaging through its contents, "maybe I can eat something now."

Finster could only shake his head, wondering yet again why he hadn't let the two bumbling lackeys stay behind at the entrance to the portal. Deep inside, however, he had a feeling he'd taken them along to keep his own fears in check.

"Here!" he soon exclaimed excitedly, pointing to a series of symbols on the wall as he brought the torch a bit closer.

"You found something?" Baboo queried, getting closer, peering questioningly at the object of Finster's excitement.

"This is it," Finster stated, nodding, "the one we were sent to find. These symbols are part of an ancient prophecy, yet their meaning is clear to me."

"What's it say?" Squatt asked from a few feet away, still going through his satchel in the search for the perfect snack.

Turning back to the wall, Finster started translating what he saw. "On the Earth's darkest day, darkness will enter this forsaken chamber and the sleeper shall be awakened.

* * *

_Angel Grove_

As all hell was breaking loose around them, Kimberly and Scorpina were locked in a standstill, matching each other move for move. As Scorpina swung her sword in a wide arc, the original Pink Ranger back flipped out of the blade's reach.

"There's nowhere to run this time, Kimberly!" Scorpina warned her, smiling victoriously as she fired off a bolt of energy from her armored hand.

"And you have no Putties to hide behind," Kimberly shot back once she'd jumped out of reach of the energy discharge and got back to her feet. Not wasting a moment, she launched herself at her adversary, knowing that for Tommy's sake, this battle had to end quickly, and it had to end in their favor.

Getting in close, she dropped down quickly as Scorpina swung her sword again, barely dodging the sharp blade. Taking advantage of the fact her enemy's momentum had taken her slightly off-balance, Kimberly launched herself into a sweep kick. As her leg connected with Scorpina's, she felt no resistance and she smiled as she saw the other woman fall back on the grass.

Standing up, Kimberly took a moment to enjoy her fleeting victory. Scorpina was quickly back on her feet, her sword still clutched tightly in her hand as she smirked at the former Pink Ranger.

"Kim! Behind you!" she heard Trini yell in the distance. Turning around, she saw Photomare was approaching, attention focused on her. That could only mean he'd captured Tanya. Realizing the predicament she was in, Kimberly tried to jump out of the way again.

* * *

"Kimberly!" Trini yelled between breaths as she saw the photograph holding her friend prisoner fall to the grass. Her attention was quickly drawn back to her own fight as she felt claw-like nails tear through the sleeve of her sweater and graze her flesh. Instinctively, she ducked into a roll that took her a few feet away from her enemy.

"It's no use, Yellow Ranger," Madam Woe declared, spreading her arms out as the wind picked up around them. "You and your friends will all fall, and soon you'll join the other Pink Ranger in my dark dimension."

"I wouldn't count on that," Trini answered defiantly, squinting and shivering as the winds surrounding them became stronger and colder. Eyeing the crown jewel embedded in the ancient sorceress' forehead, Trini knew she needed to get her hands on it. Not only would destroying it weaken the ancient sorceress, but it would also free Kat from her dimension.

"You see something you like?" Madam Woe questioned her, suggestively pointing at the jewel with one of her nails.

"I see something I want," Trini replied loudly enough to be heard over the sounds of the wind, "and I'm going to get it, fair and square." She shifted into a stance that she had learned when she had decided to dabble in a form of kung fu inspired by the praying mantis.

"We'll see about that," Madam Woe called out before she ran in Trini's direction. At that exact moment, Trini launched herself in the air, making a grab for the jewel.

* * *

_Cave of Despair_

Aisha had difficulty fighting back tears as she helplessly watched the hopeless battle her friends were currently engaged in. When the fight between Master Vile's goons and the Rangers had begun, a sort of view screen had somehow materialized in the air, allowing her to catch every moment of the confrontation as if she'd been there. Most likely, the purpose was to break her even more than she already was. Unfortunately, if that was the case, it was working.

At this point, most of the Rangers had been taken out, Rocky having just fallen to a combined attack by Rito and Scorpina. It was down to Adam, Trini and Jason. Master Vile, Rito, Scorpina, Stag Beetle and Photomare looked on, content and confident, as the remaining Rangers fought for their lives.

"Adam!" Aisha cried out as she saw him take a hard hit from the powerhouse that was Primataur. Her best friend was sent flying over a distance of several feet before he crashed into a tree. When he landed near its roots, he didn't get back to his feet.

Part of her wanted to close her eyes, save herself the pain of watching as the forces of evil finally won. But she couldn't do it. She had to see how it would end.

Trini was still squaring off against Madam Woe, her attempts at getting to the sorceress' crown jewel having been unsuccessful so far. Still, the original Yellow Ranger was unwavering, constantly dodging her foe's attacks and giving it everything she had to try and get the drop on her.

As for Jason, he faced the Nasty Knight. His red shirt and blue jeans bore the marks of the Knight's sword, much like his skin, which was riddled with cuts. The team's first leader seemed unable to gain an edge or somewhat off his game. Either that or he intentionally wasn't giving it his all, for some reason Aisha couldn't quite comprehend.

"Oh no," she whispered as she saw Photomare quietly and slowly move away from the sidelines and back into the fray. Moments later, the inevitable happened. It was down to one last Ranger.

* * *

_Angel Grove_

Jason hissed in pain as Nasty Knight's blade grazed his arm, drawing blood yet again. As the knight raised his sword high in the air to strike once more, the original Red Ranger landed a strong kick in his chest plate, sending him staggering backwards, grunting angrily.

Catching his breath, Jason took advantage of the momentary respite to assess the situation. Looking around himself, he realized that Rocky and Adam had been taken out and that Madam Woe had managed to get Trini tangled up in her long blue braids, which were holding his friend high in the air, strangling her. For all intents and purposes, he was the only Ranger left standing.

For a second, Jason stood perfectly still, taking a deep calming breath as he stared down the advancing Nasty Knight. This is it, he thought to himself, even as he sensed Photomare was approaching behind him. You only get one chance, Jase.

Just as the Nasty Knight swung his sword at him, the original Red Ranger threw himself into a roll that took him behind the Knight, unscathed. He was back on his feet in a matter of instants, the Knight still spinning with the momentum of his swing. Taking advantage of this, Jason made a grab for the monster's sword, taking him off guard, and he wrested it from his grip.

Bringing the powerful blade high above his head, Jason lunged for Photomare, who stood only a few feet away. He slashed the sword down with all his strength, the blade going through the monster like a knife sliding through butter. He turned away just in time, shielding his face from the flames and the heat as Photomare was destroyed in a massive explosion. A few yards behind him, where their pictures had been lying in the grass, Kimberly and Tanya rematerialized, conscious but weakened.

Smirking, Jason wasted no time, running towards Madam Woe. Her braids were still wrapped around Trini's neck, but his friend's body now dangled limply in the air.

Jason knew Madam Woe would expect him to try and save his friend's life. Instead, when he launched himself in the air, it was in the sorceress' direction. When he was within range, he slammed the base of the sword right into the sorceress' crown jewel, shattering it on impact. Before he even hit the ground, he swung the sword, cutting through her braids. Trini landed on the grass a few feet away and Jason was relieved to notice the light rise and fall of her chest. Kat, freed from Madam Woe's dimension, was soon by her side.

Turning to the weakened Madam Woe and Nasty Knight, who was now standing by her, Jason cocked his head to the side, smiling confidently, hefting the Knight's sword in his hand.

"Let's do this," he challenged them.

Jason was preparing to charge the two monsters when a ball of energy slammed into him from behind. He let out an agonized scream as the sword fell from his hand.

"Jason!" Kimberly cried out from where she was helping Tanya back to her feet.

But the Red Ranger didn't respond as he collapsed, the back of his shirt singed and smoking.

* * *

_Dark Fortress_

Astronema's lips broke into a satisfied smile as she saw the leader of the Rangers finally fall. She watched as Rito Revolto hoisted an unconscious Jason over his shoulder before he, Master Vile, Scorpina and the monsters still standing teleported away, leaving the other Rangers behind, defeated both physically and emotionally.

Everything was going according to her carefully laid out plans. With both Jason Lee Scott and Tommy Oliver out of the equation, the Earth Rangers were effectively leaderless. They were no longer of any concern to her. They posed no threat to what was yet to come. Nonetheless, unbeknownst to them, they still had an important part to play in the grander scheme of things. After all, assuming she was right, they would provide her with the key to eliminating Dark Specter once and for all.

She turned away from the monitor where she had followed the Rangers' doomed battle. Ecliptor stood by the entrance to her war room, sword in hand. Before she even addressed him, he nodded once, ready as always to carry out her orders.

"Contact Dark Specter," she instructed her loyal warrior. "Inform him that the threat of the Earth Rangers has been neutralized and that we're now ready to proceed. I'll be on Kalderon within the hour to meet with him. And have Zordon transferred here by the time I return. I want him to have a front row seat to the annihilation of his legacy."

"At once, my princess," Ecliptor responded, bowing his head slightly before taking off towards the communication center.

Finally finding herself alone, Astronema thought of the battle and of the challenges ahead. She was confident that the forces of good would be wiped out by the combined might of the United Alliance of Evil. Yet, there was still the delicate matter of ensuring the fall of Dark Specter and Darkonda. She would cross that bridge when she reached it. For now though, it was time to pay a visit to a prisoner.

_To be continued...

* * *

_

_End of Chapter 11! This chapter was really challenging yet fun to write. Fight scene! Never done one of those before, so, yeah, fun. Tidbits about what's coming up. Chapter 12 marks the end of the 'Divided We Stand, United We Fall' arc and it will propulse us into the actual Countdown to Destruction. We'll finally find out what Finster, Squatt & Baboo are up to. Also, huge character reveal with serious implications for the Rangers still standing. Big stuff, and I'm probably forgetting a few things because I'm so bloody excited about all of it. The fun is only just beginning._

_Letters!_

_Thanks to Iron-Mantis, milordo-z 2.0, red neo ranger, Vampuric Spider, ae1102, Warlord-Xana, snake screamer, prophet144, k-power80 & angel1983 for writing in!_

_To answer ae1102's question & request, Jason and Kimberly's storylines will most likely be heading off in different directions for a while since he's been captured. But that doesn't mean he's out of the story. A__s for a new team, well, there are no new powers since that was a ploy by Master Vile. Still, that doesn't mean the remaining Rangers won't try and figure a way out of this mess._


	13. Chapter 12

____

_**Chapter 12  
**_

_**Divided We Stand, United We Fall, Part VII  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: August 16th, 2009)_

* * *

_Disclaimer: Story belongs to me, except for the bits of dialogue taken from the actual Countdown to Destruction episodes of Power Rangers in Space. Those belong to Disney or Saban or whichever..._

* * *

_Unknown location_

Astronema entered a dimly lit cell, reminiscent of an old dungeon, smiling contently as she took in the sight of the young woman before her. She wore shackles on both of her wrists and ankles and thick iron chains linked them to one of the walls. Her skin was raw and bruised where iron had rubbed against flesh, showing that the she had struggled in vain to try and break free from her restraints. Now, she sat on the cobblestoned floor with her back against the wall, resignation in her teary eyes.

"I hope you're enjoying my darkness," Astronema commented, casting a look at their surroundings, drawing her captive out of her thoughts. At once, her muscles tensed, making her chains rattle loudly, and the resigned look turned into one of anger and loathing.

"What are you doing here?" the prisoner asked, her voice betraying her fear.

"It's been a while since my last visit," Astronema answered, getting down to her knees so she would find herself at eye level with the other woman. "I just wanted to see how you were."

"That's so thoughtful of you" she answered, her voice calmer. "You want to know how I'm doing, Astronema? Well, I'll tell you. I'm trapped in here while you're trying to destroy the people I care about most, spilling the blood of the innocent with each and every one of your unsuccessful efforts. You're a monster."

Astronema's eyes narrowed and her smile tightened. "And you think your own actions have never had consequences, sweetheart? Look at your own hands. See the blood of those who have died because of you, because you failed to save them, of all the people who would still be alive had you not screwed up."

"That's right," Astronema continued, seeing that her words were having the desired effect as tears rolled down the cheeks of her prisoner. "Remember them. Remember all the pain you've caused. They'll stay with you through the end of days."

"You're not going to win this. The others will stop you," the woman said through her tears, half-heartedly pulling at her chains.

"No they won't," Astronema replied, her voice a calm whisper as she realized she had her prisoner just where she wanted her, almost at her breaking point. "I'm going to destroy them all. Things are already in motion for that to happen. No one will be able to keep me from my ultimate victory and no one will be able to save you, not even him."

"He will," the woman said, between sobs.

"You're here, aren't you?" Astronema responded, relishing in her prisoner's distress. "He couldn't keep that from happening. What makes you think he'll be able to rescue you?" Seeing that nothing more needed to be said, Astronema rose to her feet, admiring her handiwork.

"If it's any comfort," Astronema stated, feigning compassion, "his end will be quick."

The sobbing and the crying suddenly came to an end just as Astronema was about to turn around and step out of the room. The prisoner slowly stood up, careful not to get tangled in her chains. When she stood, she looked Astronema in the eyes, her gaze unwavering. It seemed like all the time she had spent in captivity was now long forgotten and the fire that had once burned within her had been reborn.

"Mark my words, Astronema," she vowed slowly, in the same calm whisper the villainess had used, "I will see you dead."

"We'll see about that, Karone," Astronema answered coldly before she exited the cell, leaving Karone alone to deal with the guilt of her past actions and the fear of what was coming, a prisoner of her own body and mind.

* * *

_Angel Grove_

"Man, I can't believe they captured Jason," Zack stated as he leaned against Rocky, still feeling weakened from Stag Beetle's attack. The small group was gathered in a circle, all of them coping with their injuries as best as they could.

"He must have been their target all along," Rocky reasoned, looking at his teammates. "Jason and Tommy, they took out our leaders."

"Oh my God, Tommy," Kimberly gasped, "Master Vile said they were bringing an old friend back. They're going to make him evil again."

"Alright Kim," Rocky said, "you, Kat, Tanya and Justin get to the hospital. We'd only slow you down right now, so we'll join you guys as soon as we can."

Kimberly nodded in his direction once before she and the other three Rangers headed back in the direction of the hospital.

"Are you sure we should be splitting up?" Trini asked him, her hands gently rubbing her neck.

"Master Vile could have taken us all if he'd wanted to," Rocky answered. "I think that for now, we're safe. Besides, we've got a more important problem than Vile to deal with."

"What's that?" Adam asked, frowning.

"When I fought Rito," Rocky explained, "he said that the outcome of the fight was obvious, considering that on the one hand, there were eight former Rangers, and on the other, a bunch of monsters."

"So?" Zack asked, failing to see the relevance of the comment.

"Once we remove Primataur, who passed himself off for Billy," Rocky continued, "that leaves us with nine former Rangers, not eight.

"He's not the sharpest villain we've faced," Adam offered. "I'm surprised he can even get to eight."

"Maybe he just wanted to sow distrust between us," Trini contributed.

"No," Zack said, shaking his head. "Rocky's on to something here, you guys. Even with Tommy and Jason out of commission, no way would Astronema simply let us run around unchecked. Someone else isn't who they say they are, and they're playing for Dark Specter's team, keeping tabs on us."

"Tanya," Adam stated, drawing inquiring looks from the others. "Hey, they tried to blow you guys up, Goldar put Tommy in a coma, Scorpina went after Kim with a bunch of Putties, Kat was attacked by Gasket, Archerina and a platoon of Cogs. Us? We got four Piranhatrons between the both of us and I have to say they didn't put up much of a fight. They could have taken her out while she was in her dressing room and planned the rest as a setup to fool me. Plus, Photomare took her out of this fight pretty quickly."

"Or it could be Kat," Rocky suggested. "Archerina took a shot at her. She never misses a shot. By all means, Kat should be dead right now. But no, the arrow just grazed her arm. Maybe the arrow was poisoned, something that would make her turn evil."

"Or revert to the way she was when we first encountered her," Adam continued, recalling Kat's arrival in Angel Grove as one of Rita's loyal followers. "If the arrow was tainted, maybe Primataur's device could have activated whatever got into her system."

"So, what do we do about this?" Zack asked.

"We keep a close eye on the both of them," Trini said. "Until we figure out which one of them is in league with Astronema, there's not much else we can do."

* * *

_Kalderon_

As she waited for Dark Specter's arrival, Astronema thought of the encounter she'd just had with Karone. Ever since the procedure that had given her control over this body, she had felt Karone inside her mind, struggling to regain dominance and stop her from carrying out her plans to take over the universe. In the previous days, Karone had doubled in her efforts to escape her prison, deep inside her mind, no doubt realizing the magnitude of what was coming. That's why it had been so important to quell her fire. Astronema couldn't afford to have any distractions at this point.

She smiled as she remembered the girl's distress, her descent into despair, the guilt over her past actions. Karone would pose no problem to her.

The air surrounding her soon became warmer and the clouds overhead more agitated. She stood straighter and extended her Wrath Staff by her side, realizing this could only mean one thing.

"Astronema," came Dark Specter's low and thunderous voice as he shimmered into existence before her.

"Dark Specter," she replied humbly, bowing her head in deference. She then raised it high and looked him in the face calmly, expectantly.

"The time has come to complete my master plan," he stated, clenching his claws. "Astronema, summon all of my evil forces. They must all unite to finally take over the universe."

"Let the battle begin!" she clamored, lifting her staff triumphantly, Dark Specter looming high above her. "And this time," she added icily, "no one will interfere with your ultimate victory."

"Do not disappoint me, Astronema," he warned her.

"I won't" she replied, and with a simple thought, she was gone in a flash of blue light.

* * *

_Cave of Despair_

Aisha sat atop a rock in the middle of the cave, her legs pulled into her chest, gently rocking herself back and forth, unable to hold back her tears. The images of her friends falling, one at a time, kept playing over and over in her head, burned into her memory. When she recalled Jason being hit from behind by the energy ball fired by Master Vile, she couldn't help but close her eyes tightly, the sound of Jason's agonized scream haunting her.

The moment Jason had hit the ground, the transmission had come to an end, leaving her in the dark as to the final issue of the battle and the final fate of her friends.

Hearing footfalls coming from the direction of the cave's entrance, Aisha suddenly became still. As they became louder, accompanied by Rito's distinctive laughter, she slid off the rock carefully, wiping away at her eyes.

"Honey, I'm home! And I brought company!" Master Vile's son called out as he strolled into the cave, an unconscious Jason draped over his shoulder.

"Jason! What did you do to him, Rito?" Aisha asked as the villain fired a bolt of energy at the force field, creating a makeshift doorway large enough for him to walk through.

"Hey, don't look at me like that," Rito answered defensively, his sword pointed in her direction to keep her at bay as he unceremoniously dropped Jason onto his back on the misty ground, "my pops is the one who took out mister hotshot here."

"Is he going to be okay?" she questioned, tentatively taking a step forward.

"Let me finish up here, and he'll be all yours to find out," Rito informed her, reaching down to remove Jason's communicator from his wrist. He flung the device into the air and fired a blast of fire at it with his sword, incinerating it in midflight. "No one's finding the two of you now, seer," Rito bellowed as he turned on his heel, heading out, the force field sealing itself shut behind him.

As soon as he was out of sight, Aisha rushed to Jason's side. She let out a relieved sigh upon noticing his steady breathing and the steady rise and fall of his chest.

"Jason?" she asked in a hushed voice, nudging his arm gently until his eyes slowly opened. "Jason!"

"Aisha," he said, squinting a bit as he cast a look around. "Where are we?"

"The Cave of Despair," she answered, carefully helping him sit upright. "Rito brought me here after he captured me in Africa. What happened out there, Jason?"

"What do you mean?" he asked in response, clearly hurting from the blast that had struck him in the back.

"The fight," she stated, looking him in the eyes, "it was like you were holding back, which doesn't make any sense to me considering the entire time, the others were being taken out. If you would have fought harder, things could have gone differently."

"I know," Jason admitted, "but then I wouldn't have been able to help Tommy."

"What?" Aisha queried, confused by Jason's last statement.

"Tommy was attacked by Goldar on his way down to Angel Grove," Jason started to explain. "He's in a coma, at the hospital. Primataur planted a device on him when he impersonated Billy. We thought it was a healing disk, but Master Vile said it would bring back an old friend."

"They're going to make him evil again, Aisha. Reprogram his mind. Whatever that disk is doing to Tommy physically, I don't think we can stop it. But between your connection to the Morphing Grid and all you've learned from Ashalla, I was hoping you might be able to get in his head, keep him from being turned."

"So you got yourself captured to get to me," Aisha stated, realization finally dawning on her. "You made yourself appear as the biggest threat out there when you turned the tables around, brought all the focus on yourself. They could have just killed you Jason."

"You're right," he conceded, "but I had to. Besides, Tommy would have done the same for me."

"Okay, so we help Tommy," Aisha pondered out loud. "Then what happens? How do the others know where to find us?"

Jason managed a pained smile as his hand reached into his pocket. When he pulled it back out, he revealed its contents. Aisha couldn't hold back an excited squeal as the eyed the communicator he held. For the first time today, she felt hopeful.

"Rocky slipped it to me during the fight," Jason told her. "I guess we were just both on the same page. Just nodded at each other once, that was it."

"So we just wait for the others to find us?" Aisha asked him.

"Yeah," Jason confirmed, looking around them with a curious look. "Say, where's Billy?"

"Billy?" Aisha echoed, frowning at him.

"Yeah, Primataur impersonated him," Jason confirmed. "We figured you two were being kept together. But if he isn't here…"

"…where could he be?" Aisha finished the thought, worried about their friend.

* * *

_Unknown location_

In the split-second Billy took to look behind him for any sign of his pursuers, he was unable to see anything other than the dense foliage of the trees he'd run past only moments ago. When he turned back to look ahead of him, it just appeared to be more of the same.

Soon after he'd landed, they'd ambushed him, confident they'd easily take him out, not expecting him to put up a fight that might lead to innocents being caught in the crossfire. The reasoning had been partially right as Billy would never have considered placing innocents in danger, but they hadn't considered that he might put together a different exit strategy.

It hadn't taken Billy long devise a plan that would ensure the safety of any non-fighters and allow him to bring the upcoming fight to a place of his choosing.

That had been fifteen minutes ago. Ever since then, he'd been on the run, storming past trees, barely seeing a few feet ahead, pushing branches out of his way when he could with his free hand and wincing when the occasional unseen one would leave a scrape on the exposed skin of his legs and arms.

His other hand tightly held on to the straps of his backpack, which dangled by his side as he kept running, struggling to breathe. Beads of sweat rolled down his face and arms as he tried to keep his focus on anything but the heat and the exhaustion that were both threatening to slow him down.

Digging deep within himself to keep going, Billy thought of the friends he'd left behind when he'd departed for Aquitar and of those he had found during his stay on Aquitar and in his quest to permanently keep his rapid aging condition under control. He thought of his life as a Ranger, which he had abandoned when he had surrendered his powers to Tanya. In truth, from that day onward, as he'd remained in the Power Chamber, he'd felt like a part of him was missing, like he'd become nothing more than a ghost, wandering about aimlessly. That emptiness had only gotten greater when he'd lost Cestria, leaving him feeling somewhat dead inside. But that had all changed on the day he'd found his purpose once again.

Billy remembered that moment and suddenly, he felt a renewed burst of energy. Trying to see a bit farther in the distance, he realized he was approaching the forest's edge. It was almost time for what could very well be his final stand.

He had studied detailed maps of the area and he knew that past the forest was a cliff overlooking a large rock quarry. That was his destination, that was his destiny.

As Billy finally made it past the final trees and onto the cliff's edge, he saw that the battle had already begun and he frowned, seeing that the odds were stacked up against them.

He brought his backpack up, unzipped it and reached inside for its contents. "Let's do this," he whispered to himself before he threw himself off the edge of the cliff, feeling more alive than he ever had.

As he landed in the middle of the quarry where the Blue Senturion was already fighting for the planet's survival, time seemed to stop for a moment.

"Nice of you to finally join us, Phantom Ranger," King Mondo greeted him from the large rock where he, Queen Machina, Prince Sprockett, Klank and Orbus suddenly appeared to watch over the battle. Unbeknownst to Billy, while they had sent their forces after him the moment he'd arrived on the planet where he'd acquired the Phantom Ranger powers, Astronema's signal to begin the attack had just been sent minutes ago.

Billy smiled to himself as his hand reached for the ruby implanted in his chest plate. He then slowly lowered his arms and clenched his fists tightly, ready for the fight of his life.

* * *

_Animaria_

For nearly 3000 years, she had slept, awaiting this fateful day. As her eyes slowly opened, she stretched her sore limbs and carefully stood up. Her legs were a bit weak from lack of use, but she knew it was only a matter of readjusting herself.

She had dreamt of this day for so long, but all joy was lost on her as the full implications of her full awakening hit her. Somehow, someone had breached the Nexus, setting Master Org free.

Princess Shayla trembled briefly at the thought of the villain who had terrorized the people of Animaria 3000 years ago. She quickly pushed away her fears however as, high above the Animarium, she saw the Yellow Eagle Wild Zord soaring across the sky. Yes, with the help of the Wild Zords, she would find the champions who would defeat Master Org once again, and then good would prevail once again.

* * *

_Angel Grove_

Kimberly and the others reached Tommy's room just as Hayley was getting back to her feet, her hand pressed against the back of her head. A few feet away, Tommy was still in his bed. The healing disc was still humming softly, though it no longer emitted the same greenish energy.

"Hayley!" Kimberly called out as she quickly covered the distance separating her from the other girl, helping her stand steady. "What happened?"

"It's that disc," Hayley answered, pointing in the device's direction. "It's doing something to Tommy. When I got too close, it emitted some kind of energy feedback that threw me against the wall. Packs one heck of a punch."

Almost as if to prove her point, the disc started humming more loudly as Kat, who stood by Tommy's bed, started to extend her hand in its' direction. As it had done before, it started radiating a greenish energy aura.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Hayley warned, prompting Kat to pull her hand away. "What is it, anyway?"

Kimberly exchanged a look with the others, wondering if she should tell Hayley the truth. True, their past as Rangers was supposed to stay secret, but Tommy's life was on the line. Not only that, but they had to ensure he wouldn't be turned evil again and maybe Hayley could help them disable the device. Earth couldn't afford to have one of its' greatest defenders turned against it. All things considered, keeping quiet could wind up causing more harm than good.

"Maybe you should sit down for this," she suggested, hoping this was the right call.

* * *

_Pai Zhuq Academy_

Kanoi was in the outdoor training area, sitting still on the ground, meditating as he always did at this time of day. Feeling completely at peace with himself, he also found himself deeply connected with the elements surrounding him, particularly air, earth and water. The process was also helping him cope physically with the minimal amount of sleep he'd gotten since his arrival at the Academy, replenishing his energies fully.

Waking up that morning, he had first taken the time to check in on Cam. He had been pleased to find that he had been befriended by Finn's son, RJ, who was about the same age. Finn had spoken of the boy highly, confident he would someday carry his father's legacy as a Master of the shark technique. Kanoi had only smiled and nodded, seeing something different in the boy, a destiny that would take him on a different path than his father's.

He had then met up with Koichi and the Pai Zhuq Masters. They still had no information regarding the vessel detected the previous night, besides the fact that someone aboard it was trying to access the Academy's schematics. Numerous patrols of the grounds had all been carried without incident. Everything seemed fine for the moment. There had been discussion about sending the younger charges away for their own safety, but that idea had quickly been set aside. It had been deemed wiser to keep them at the Academy, under the Masters' and Senseis' continued protection.

As Kanoi's meditation became more intense, and his connection to everything around him became gradually stronger, a feeling of unease started to wash over him. He could sense a presence, dark and malevolent, strangely familiar, doubtless linked to that ship.

"Lothor," he whispered to himself before opening his eyes. His brother was back and he was the one who was coming to free Dai Shi.

* * *

_Angel Grove_

By the time Rocky, Adam, Trini and Zack finally arrived at the hospital, they had already hatched up a plan that would allow them to move forward and also help them keep an eye on Kat and Tanya. As they rejoined the others, they were surprised yet relieved to find out that Kimberly had briefed Hayley on the current situation. The young woman would undoubtedly be of great assistance to them.

"Astronema thinks we're down and out, but we can't afford to give up now," Rocky said as he stood in the middle of the room. He wasn't entirely comfortable with the leadership position, but with Jason and Tommy out of commission, he knew he had no choice but to step up.

"We're going after the Zeo powers," he announced looking at everyone gathered around him. "The powers, the Zords, they're our best chance at giving Astronema a run for her money."

"But the powers are gone," Kat stated, frowning slightly.

"I think the crystal was probably shattered in the explosion that destroyed the Command Center during Divatox's final battle against the Turbo Rangers," Rocky explained. "If we can find the shards in the remains of the Power Chamber, we should be able to access our Zeo powers again and power the Zords."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Tanya replied, nodding in agreement. "But do we know the Zords will respond? What if they're completely offline?"

"Already thought of that," Adam chimed in. "Kat and Justin, you two are going to go with Rocky to the Power Chamber to try and find the Zeo Crystal. Tanya, you and me are going to go to the Zord Bay, ensure we'll be able to access the Zords."

"While we're doing that," Rocky continued, "Kimberly's going to stay here, keep an eye on Tommy while Trini, Zack and Hayley are going to try and find a way for us to locate and bring back Jason and the others." Rocky intentionally made no mention of the communicator he had slipped Jason. Only Zack, Trini and Adam knew about that and they'd decided it best to keep it that way until they found out the identity of Astronema's mole.

"Why Kimberly?" Kat asked, confused. "I mean, no offense, Kim, but Tommy and I are together. If someone's going to keep an eye over him, I'd like it to be me."

"I know, Kat," Rocky conceded, "but Kimberly's not familiar with the layout of the Power Chamber or with the Zeo Crystal. She wouldn't be able to help us in the search for it."

Kat stayed silent following Rocky's rebuttal, not making any further objections to his plan. Soon, the three teams departed, leaving Kimberly standing alone by Tommy's bed.

* * *

_Dark Fortress_

"Welcome Zordon," Astronema greeted the Earth Rangers' mentor once she'd removed the drape covering the energy tube he was trapped in. For months now, his energy had been drained by Dark Specter and it was only a matter of time at this point until his strength was completely depleted. Then, the Power would be no more.

"It appears you're almost out of energy," she continued. "Soon, you'll be gone forever."

"You will never succeed, Astronema," Zordon replied, his essence suspended in the upper half of the energy tube, barely staying afloat over the lava that filled the tube's lower half.

"Oh no? Watch," she ordered as she turned and walked across the room to stand before a monitor. On it, a planet's surface was displayed. "Ah yes, the home of the Phantom Ranger," she commented, as the image shifted to show them images of the Phantom Ranger's hopeless battle against the forces of the Machine Empire.

"You have a front row seat to the end of you era," she stated, turning to him momentarily before she returned her attention to the monitor, "and the beginning of mine."

_To be continued...

* * *

_

_So, that's it for the second arc of Power Rangers: Countdown. I want to thank everyone reading and reviewing. Quite a few reveals this chapter, including the reveal of the Phantom Ranger's identity as Billy (crazy, I know). Also, it's official, Finster was going to realease Master Org and he was successful, as evidenced by Princess Shayla's awakening. Finally, Lothor is coming to the Academy. Some pretty big evil names, and there's still more to come!_

_Coming up, the next arc takes us away from the Veteran Rangers somewhat. Some very special stuff coming up with Andrew Hartford that you never could have imagined. Also, the Yellow Eagle Wild Zord makes its move, selecting its champion. Plus a whole lot more goodness and a cameo appearance from another of the Dino Thunder Rangers (as a kid, of course)._

_Big thanks to Warlord-Xana & Iron-Mantis for writing in after chapter 11. Also, if it's not already done, remember to sign up for story alerts or author alerts to get an e-mail everytime a new update comes up!_

_Until next time,_

_Power down!_

_project314_


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